MacArthur Airport travelers scramble after nationwide ground stop disrupts flights
Canceled flights force Long Island passengers to reroute trips as nationwide FAA ground stop causes travel chaos.
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Passengers at Long Island MacArthur Airport spent Saturday adjusting travel plans after widespread disruptions left flights canceled and seats on alternate routes in short supply.
Jason Perlow, who is from Middle Island and lives in Key West, learned at midnight that his flight to Miami had been canceled. He spent Saturday searching for a new way home.
"They basically said most of the flights were taken up. They said the only option now was instead of flying into Miami, to fly into West Palm Beach. Flying here from 1 o’clock, I’ll be there at 4 o’clock, then I have to rent a car, drive all the way down to Key West which is probably another four hours."
At least five departures and one arrival had been canceled at MacArthur Airport on Saturday.
For Renee Bunting, who has family in Smithtown and now lives in North Carolina, the travel disruptions stretched over multiple days. Weather canceled her first flight on Thursday, and the nationwide ground stop led to the cancellation of her Friday flight.
"It’s very frustrating. I’ve had three trips back and forth to the airport. For me, I was fortunate because I had family that could bring me back and forth. I know for some people it hasn’t been that fortunate."
Michael Canders, an aviation safety expert, said the FAA's decision was appropriate but raised concerns about the systems behind the disruption.
"Safety is paramount. I think what the FAA did was correct. They had to shut it down but they have to dig deeper. You have to question why did you shut it down? What kind of fail safe, what kind of backups do you have to prevent this from happening again?"
