Passengers stuck on planes for hours on JFK Airport tarmac
JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) -- There were many frustrated passengers Saturday as JFK Airport struggled to get back up to speed following the weather-related delays over the past couple of days.
The airport was mostly shut down due to the snowstorm on Thursday, leading to a massive backlog of flights.
The results are now been seen, as passengers post photos and videos on social media with the hashtag #JFKChaos.
Many arriving passengers have been stuck on the tarmac for hours waiting for a gate, only to have to wait several hours more for their baggage to arrive on a carousel.
Some people are being advised to come back later to pick up their bags.
"We were on the plane for four hours which is longer than the flight itself, and then we had to wait another three or four hours for our bags to come in," said one passenger.
In one case, passengers had flown a 14 hour flight from China only to arrive and sit on the tarmac for nearly seven more hours waiting for a gate.
The delays are affecting both arriving and departing flights.
One woman arrived for an 8 a.m. flight only to be told it would be taking off at 5 p.m.
Due to the backlog, the Port Authority says it has put into effect a process to assist the airlines and terminal operators, upon their request.
That plan includes providing portable staircases and buses to deplane passengers on the airfield and bring them to the terminal.
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