A collective sigh was heard around the country when New York’s JFK International Airport decided to close its longest runway for four months due to construction.
The always-packed hub has been known for its relentless delays since its existence, so clipping that runway (which most Delta and JetBlue flights use) was a scare for the frequent traveler.
Fortunately, JFK’s officials planned to lessen the flight schedule on prominent airlines, and refurbish their practice on queuing planes for departures.
In order to cut down on tarmac delays during the time of tension, a new departure system took over – giving each plane a reservation window in which to depart, rather than using the “first-come, first-served” protocol that had been in place for years.
The process allows 8-12 planes to be in line for departing during any time as well as peak hours, which prevents the idling and backing up of aircraft.
Prior to the construction project, the “new” departure arrangement had only been used in heavy snow storms and emergency situations.
But over the four months, the system worked well, and even with the runway out of commission, delays were minimal. Now that construction is complete, officials decided to keep the streamlined departure practice, and to test it under the rigorously regular schedules of summer travel.
So far, it’s worked for cutting delays, and has also simultaneously reduced pollution and fuel costs.
After the success of minimizing delays, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has decided to extend the use of it, and possibly test the practice in New York’s other international hub – LaGuardia.
