Nearly half of Newark Liberty International Airport's flights have arrived late this year and rising fuel prices and airline industry problems threaten to turn the busy summer season into a sweaty mess.
More passengers are enduring long waits at the airport's three terminals - and even paying for a night in a hotel room - as the beleaguered airline industry has canceled more flights this year than any period since 2000.
Despite imposing some stop-gap measures - such as capping flights and adding a route for westbound jets - aviation officials say they don't have a long-term plan to improve conditions for Newark's weary travelers.
"I wouldn't count on the delays going away any time soon," said Bill Decota, director of aviation for the Port Authority, which operates the airport.
Newark, like many airports, is feeling the effects of an industry that's shrinking as it struggles to deal with skyrocketing costs, piling debt and business closures.
Fewer planes are taking to the skies since fuel costs have quadrupled nationally since 2000, topping $400 billion in 2007, said David Castelveter, a vice president for the Air Transport Association, an airline advocacy group. |
