Airports Returning to Normal After Northeast Storm

Airports in New York and Boston were ramping up service Sunday, working to return to normal operations following a massive snowstorm that crippled parts of the East Coast and led to thousands of flight delays and cancellations.

Boston’s Logan Airport was the last to open, at 11 p.m. on Saturday. It was still experiencing delayed and canceled flights, and officials urged passengers to check with their airline before heading to the airport.

Airlines said they were operating close-to-normal schedules on Sunday. Even so, flight-tracking website FlightAware.com said about 380 flights were canceled on Sunday, a busy travel day for airlines. Only 12 are expected for Monday.

In all, roughly 5,650 flights have been canceled since Friday, when several airports shut down in anticipation of the storm. Friday saw the most cancelations, according to FlightAware, with Saturday a close second. Airlines waived ticket-change fees for passengers in the affected areas.

Airlines try to get ahead of big storms by canceling flights in advance. They want to avoid having crews and planes stuck in one area of the country. They also face fines for leaving passengers stuck on a plane for more than three hours, under a rule that went into effect in 2010.

Delta Air Lines said that as of Sunday morning, its flights were back to normal. JetBlue said flights are back to regular schedules in New York and will be in Boston by Monday.

Amtrak trains are running on a limited schedule between New York and Boston.

Regional lines are still working to restore service. As of Sunday afternoon, train crews were working to clear as much as 4 feet of snow off the Metro-North Railroad tracks between New Haven and Stamford, Conn., New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

The Long Island Rail Road was back to “near-normal” weekend schedule, the MTA said.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said service on some subway and bus lines resumed at about 2 p.m., and that regular schedules would be in effect for Monday, but commuters should expect “significant” delays.

Most commuter rail service should resume by Monday morning, the agency said on its website.

This article appeared in print on page 4 of the February 11th, 2013 edition of Hamodia.