United States: International arrivals resume at JFK’s Terminal 4 Jan. 7 /update 2

Event

A water main broke at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Sunday, January 7, flooding Terminal 4 and prompting a brief evacuation of the terminal and the temporary suspension of international arrivals to the terminal. Though a related investigation into the incident is still ongoing, the water main break is suspected to be weather-related, according to officials from The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. As of 19:47 (local time) on Sunday, international arrivals to Terminal 4 have resumed; some lingering related flight delays are expected in the coming hours, according to JFK Airport officials.

Context

Terminal 4 receives many of JFK's international arrivals, and is an international flight hub for Delta Airlines, among other carriers.

The water main break in JFK's Terminal 4 is the latest incident in a series of weather-related disruptions to affect the airport over the past several days. Winter Storm Grayson caused over 3700 flights to be canceled in the US and caused JFK, along with other major regional airports, to suspend operations when it hit the northeastern coast on January 4. Though JFK Airport resumed operations on the morning of January 5, dozens of flights have since been canceled and hundreds more delayed at the airport due to related damages, staff shortages, and other residual effects from the storm and continued cold temperatures.

Advice

Individuals flying to, from, or through JFK are advised to confirm their reservations and contact their airline for more information.