Tag: airport transportation

Chaos At JFK Airport

JFK Shooting Scare

Speculations of an active shooter at the famous JFK airport sent air goers to stray in search of cover. These days, the sound of a gun shot is far too familiar although it still sends a frightening scare through our bones. With terrorist attacks becoming far too common, our alert is already on over drive.

JFK under attack

Reports show that on August 14th there were calls about a shooting that was taking place at John F Kennedy airport. Passengers went running in every direction after hearing the rumors that there was a bomb or shooter on the lose. The rumors turned out to be false and there were no serious injuries that were reported. Still to this day there is no answer to what sparked the panic at JFK. One theory is the loud cheers from the crowd celebrating Usain Bolt’s victory at the Olympics scared passengers thinking it was a terrorist attack.

The benefits of the fright

JFK_Airport_Security_Flaws

Though the scare at the JFK airport on Aug. 14th was false, it brought to light some serious flaws in every level of the airport security. Officials were slow to respond to these allegations and some were even confused of what the protocols were in this type of situation. Reports of T.S.A agents abandoning their post and no chain of command in place. The main defense against terrorist attacks at this New York airport is the Port Authority Police which failed to take control of the situation. Senator Schumer has since requested for the Department of Homeland Security to complete a federal review of the official response. Another one of Mr. Schumer’s requested was to see if cameras are placed correctly and there are proper drills in place to make sure the team is prepared these types of situations.

August 29, 2016
Sikorsky Airport Runway Project is Continuing in June

This well anticipated project was supposed to open a new era of air travel at Sikorsky Memorial Airport.

The safety upgrades have been stalled for months at the Stratford-based, Bridgeport-owned Sikorsky airport due to an ongoing federal review prompted by a contractor’s oversight and worsened by airport management problems.

Money Lost for Sikorsky Airport

One city official stated that this airport already operates at a $500,000 yearly loss, with its primary runway out of service for the past eight months. This airport only has two runways to begin with.

“This is a $43 million project,” said David Faile, president of the Friends of Sikorsky organization. “And all we have to show for it right now is (nearby) Main Street has been rebuilt (and) they rehabilitated a bunch of marshlands and wetlands, so we have turtle breeding grounds.

John Ricci, who oversees Sikorsky as the new head of Bridgeport’s public facilities department, is in hopes that the Federal Aviation Administration’s work stoppage order issued last Labor Day weekend will be lifted by June 6. Ricci assured us that he will do everything in his power to get this airport back as to bring convenience to its neighboring residents.

The targeted work amount is currently 65 days with no more bumps in the road.

Importance for upgrades at Sikorsky

Wondering what the need for the safety upgrades at the Sikorsky Airport were? The safety work was drawn by the death of eight people in a 1994 plane crash.

There were many complications involved in this long drawn out project. Much time and preparation went into effect before the actual project began in 2014. Some of the main issues included the realignment of nearby Route 113 — Main Street — in Stratford to install a bed of concrete-like material designed to decelerate aircraft that overshoots the runway. Also in need were an entailed runway reconstruction, an upgraded drainage system and removal of hazardous waste.

Sikorsky sees some major bumps in the road

The project was briefly halted on more than one occasion. First, last June after a construction worker was killed when the gas-powered saw he was using kicked back and struck him in the neck. Then another contractor, over Labor Day weekend, allegedly drove a truck through an area where planes taxi. No one was in danger, but the so-called incursion alarmed the FAA. At that point, the main work left was the runway reconstruction.

With further investigation they found a number of items that were out of order including poor records for maintenance, inspection and training. He said the FAA also wanted some physical improvements to the airport, with better security among them.

One thing is for sure. While waiting on this airport to be ready for business, you can always count on a Stratford limo for your transportation needs.

June 20, 2016
Homelessness effects those of LaGuardia Airport
New York City’s homeless population continued to rise last year, with the number of homeless people sleeping each night in municipal shelters exceeding 60,000 people, including 25,000 children, for the first time ever! As a result of the overcrowded shelters, the homeless are turning to take shelter literally anywhere.

Homelessness is a huge problem in America and now it is right in our face as we fly in and out of LaGuardia airport. There is no way to disguise this tremendous cry for help! Over 50 people with no where to go have turned to the LaGuardia airport for shelter. As you prepare to board your flight you will notice them making pallets on the floor or in chairs. Even the restrooms are housing these less fortunate.

They are located on LaGuardia Airports terminal B which is accessible to the public 24 hours out of the day without having to purchase a boarding pass. The workers of the well known airport have complained of witnessing squatters walking around the restrooms butt naked and choose to not use the restrooms while at work because of it. Some are noticed to leave during the day to visit local soup kitchens while others are observed to stay all day.

Through this bad time there is some effort in place to take control of this economic hardship. Mayor de Blasio’s plan to address family homelessness aims to move more than 5,000 homeless families out of shelters and into permanent housing which will lead to reductions in child and family homelessness over the coming year.

Some positive steps toward eliminating this economic downfall suggested by the Coalition includes:
- The Governor must enhance rental assistance programs that prevent homelessness and help homeless New Yorkers move from shelters to their own homes.
- Mayor de Blasio must allocate a larger number of public housing apartments – at least 2,500 per year – to homeless families.
- The Mayor must also ensure that at least 10 percent of the housing units created or preserved under his ambitious ten-year, 200,000-unit housing plan are targeted to homeless families and individuals.
- Governor Cuomo must fully fund the State’s share of a new City-State “New York/New York Agreement” to create 30,000 units of supportive housing for homeless New Yorker’s living with special needs.
Time will tell if poverty in NYC will decrease or decline.
December 14, 2015