A technical fault on board an incoming Delta flight has caused travel chaos at New York City’s busiest airport.
The incoming flight from Rome triggered a ground stop and closed runways at John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday afternoon.
The jet sparked panic after coming in to land with faulty hydraulics, per information from the Federal Aviation Administration.
‘Delta Air Lines Flight 183 landed safely at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 1.30pm local time on Friday, July 18, after the crew reported a hydraulic issue,’ the FAA said.
Flight crew on the Airbus A330-300 with 266 customers onboard reported a hydraulic system issue, a Delta spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
The crew declared an emergency to receive priority handling from Air Traffic Control and landed safely.
The runway was temporarily closed during the incident, and passengers were able to disembark from the plane, according to CBS News New York.
The aircraft was towed to its arrival gate where customers deplaned and is being evaluated by maintenance teams.
A Delta flight caused travel chaos at New York City ‘s John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday afternoon
‘Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people, and that’s why our flight crew and JFK team followed standard procedures to bring this aircraft safely to its arrival gate,’ a Delta spokesperson said.
The Port Authority told the local news station that there was ‘minimal impact’ on overall airport activity, and the ground stop was lifted around 2.30pm.
‘Operations are normal after the FAA briefly slowed arrivals and departures at the airport because the aircraft was disabled on the runway,’ the FAA said.
It comes as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — the agency that oversees airports and bridges around the city — is urging flyers to take the train if they’re heading to JFK this summer.
‘We are once again asking travelers to leave their cars at home and take public transit to the airport,’ Kevin O’Toole, the agency’s chairman, said.
‘Yes, there will be some temporary inconvenience. But it’s all part of building an airport our region can be proud of — for decades to come.’
JFK, New York’s busiest airport, is in the middle of a $19 billion overhaul that will stretch through the summer. Port Authority says the project is about to hit a ‘peak.’
At the same time, the agency is also expecting record-setting crowds during popular travel months.