LaGuardia airport set to open today

After JFK and Newark Airports resumed operations in scaled down operations, LaGuardia Airport, the hardest hit in terms of flooding is set to open on Thursday morning.

Like the other two metropolitan area airports, flight schedules at LaGuardia will be on a limited basis.

Again, as in the case of the other two airports the Port Authority is urging passengers to call their airline before going to the airport.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo mentioned the fact that LaGuardia’s flooding had damaged navigational aids that the FAA needed to approve in order for the airport to open.  The FAA explained to TravelMole that the major issue in terms of the longer closure was flooding due to the fact that the airport is closer to the water’s edge than JFK (both were in or close to evacuation areas). 

The navigational aids that were spoken of are radar aids that are not needed for all flights because of GPS positioning equipment and also because daytime and fine-weather flights do not necessarily need them.  The FAA provided TravelMole with the following statement on the re-opening of Hurricane Sandy affected airports:

"The FAA is continuing to work with airlines, airports and other operators, as well as Federal and State partners to restore the country’s aviation system in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy. The FAA’s top operational priority is to quickly re-establish its air traffic service and other capabilities that enable aviation operations to support disaster relief efforts.   The agency is coordinating closely with impacted airlines and commercial, general aviation and military airports as they assess damage and provide support as they resume operations.  As airports reopen, we are dispatching airport certification inspectors to provide assistance and ensure compliance with airport safety regulations. As air carriers begin flying, FAA aviation safety inspectors are also on-site at airports to provide support and ensure safety compliance. Based on preliminary findings of the agency’s damage assessment, FAA technicians are working to repair and restore instrument landing systems, navigational aids and communications equipment at several airports in the northeast that were damaged by the storm. The vast majority of the FAA’s air traffic control facilities in the affected areas have largely restored their capability to sustain air traffic operations."