The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently established 10 interim measures at JFK Airport for the facility’s response to winter weather.
The measures address such issues as staffing, how air traffic is handled and how the airport communicates with passengers. It also instructs airport personnel to activate the airport’s Emergency Operations Center prior to any significant storm and for the center to remain open for the duration of the storm.
Earlier this month, former U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood began an independent and comprehensive investigation into JFK Airport during and following the winter storm of Jan. 4. The investigation will include the port authority’s airport management and the performance of airlines and terminal operators.
“What happened at JFK, as we have emphasized over the past two weeks, was unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen again,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said. “The interim directives and protocols we are announcing today are critical initial steps to ensure improved operations in future storms. We look forward to reviewing Secretary LaHood’s findings and recommendations. We intend to act aggressively on Secretary LaHood’s ultimate report – both to address accountability for failures that occurred and to implement his recommendations to assure these failures never happen again.”