US Independence Day Holiday, Another Flight Delay Crisis... Bomb Scare Incident in New York

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] As the United States welcomed the Independence Day holiday weekend, large numbers of travelers flocked to various locations, causing numerous flight delays and cancellations. At New York JFK Airport, a major hub airport on the U.S. East Coast, a bomb scare also occurred.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 3rd (local time), citing the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), that over 4,000 flights in the U.S. were delayed as of Saturday, the previous day. More than 600 flights were canceled. Considering the average daily cancellations are about 210 flights, this represents a threefold increase.

At LaGuardia Airport in New York, 64 flights, accounting for 18% of total flights, were delayed. Additionally, 39 flights, or 11%, were canceled. New York JFK Airport and Newark Airport reportedly experienced similar levels of delays and cancellations. On Friday, July 1, 4,900 flights were delayed and 500 flights were canceled nationwide.

This surge in travel demand began before the weekend in anticipation of Independence Day on Monday, July 4. Amid labor shortages at major airlines and airport control towers following the COVID-19 pandemic, the influx of travelers inevitably caused disruptions. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), at least 48 million Americans traveled during the Independence Day holiday period.

Furthermore, flight cancellations on some routes due to tropical storms and other weather impacts in areas such as South Carolina reportedly affected other routes as well.

On the morning of the same day, a bomb scare occurred at New York JFK Airport when a bag suspected of containing a bomb was reported inside the airport building. The New York Post reported that around 11:30 a.m., JFK Airport evacuated passengers outside the airport for this reason, but after the New York Police Department (NYPD) bomb squad responded, no bomb was found inside the bag.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.