According to CNN, New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport isn't exactly the poster child for on-time departures and things may get worse before they get better for travelers using the airport this spring. JFK's longest, and busiest, runway (13R-31L) will close for four months.
The closure is all part of a $376-million, three-year makeover. Last year the runway handled more than 143,000 takeoffs and landings, and individual airlines are currently analyzing the effect the closure will have on flight schedules (a JetBlue spokeswoman said "It certainly does have an impact on operations."). The director of aviation for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey explains, "The scope of the project is truly enormous. It provides for the replacement of almost three miles of asphalt pavement."
The asphalt on the runway has already worn out earlier than expected due to excessive use and is due for repair. The Port Authority voted to replace it with concrete, which will last longer, and to widen the runway to 200 feet from 150 feet, which will allow bigger aircraft to use the airport.The new concrete has an estimated service life of over 40 years, compared to an eight-year service life for asphalt.
The shutdown comes as the nation’s air travelers brace for new security precautions that could cause further delays at the gate. And any problems in New York have the potential to ripple around the country, just as problems in Atlanta or Chicago, for example, have been known to delay flights from coast to coast.But officials at Kennedy, and several of the airlines that serve it, insist that the situation is not likely to be a problem and that the long-term benefit will be fewer delays.
The time will clarify and reveal the true impact of this runway closing not just only on the air transportation issues of the nation, but also on the economy of the national transportation.
->For the CNN source link please click here.
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