NYC Air Travel, Mass Transit Not Moving Till Tomorrow at Earliest

The New York airports remain closed, and Port Authority officials said that they probably wouldn't be reopened till Monday night at the earliest.

New York's subways, buses and the region's commuter trains also are not operating today and likely won't struggle back to full operation till tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.

Airlines are being besieged with customer calls, most of which are going unanswered.

In the "No-shit, Sherlock" statement of the day, the AP has a story that says: "The quicker airlines get back in the air, the less the inconvenience on travelers whose flights were scrubbed by the storm. ..."

Meanwhile, United-Continental sent out an announcement this afternoon saying it hopes to be flying to and from the three major New York airports "no earlier" than noon Monday -- with flight resumptions depending on "access."

I'd say that's optimistic, but here's the United-Continental announcement:

"United Airlines and Continental Airlines are assessing the impact of
Hurricane Irene at its New York airports and support facilities, including its hub at Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport.

New York airports remain closed and United and Continental suspended all flights to these airports through Sunday. The airlines anticipate resuming service to these New York airports starting Monday no earlier than noon EDT, with the time depending on facility conditions and access.

The airlines are also working with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as well city and county emergency management officials to assess critical infrastructure. Once this assessment is complete, United and Continental will update employees, customers and other stakeholders regarding the status of its operations.
United and Continental also suspended flights to several other airports along the East Coast, including White Plains, N.Y., Boston, Mass., Hartford, Conn., Providence, R.I., Portland, Maine, Manchester, N.H., and Albany, N.Y., through Sunday."

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