NEW YORK, March 1 (UPI) — Passengers at JFK International Airport in New York can expect longer delays for four months while a major runway is overhauled, a U.S. official said.
Federal Aviation Administration system operations director Mike Sammartino said travelers can expect average delays of 29 minutes, with delays averaging 50 minutes during rush hours, The New York Post reported Monday.
The $376 million project includes replacing the asphalt surface of the 14,572-foot Bay Runway with concrete and widening the surface to accommodate larger jets.
Normally, the runway handles about half of departures at JFK, which ranked 28th out of 31 major airports for on-time performance last year.
“Hurry up and wait — that’s the story of JFK,” said graduate student Zena Samuels, who was waiting at the airport for a friend to arrive.
“Each year, the delays keep getting longer,” she said.
In addition to the delays, passengers can expect to pay higher ticket prices as airlines attempt to make up for losses connected to the runway project, the newspaper said.