Kai Ryssdal

"Thursday's flight not only brought passengers back to their original departure airport but also landed 55 minutes late, according to FlightAware."

Passengers in air for 16 hours return to where they began after JFK electrical fire https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/passengers-in-air-for-16-hours-return-to-where-they-began-after-jfk-electrical-fire/ar-AA17CcFy

Passengers in air for 16 hours return to where they began after JFK electrical fire

A flight did a U-turn over the Pacific Ocean to return to its departure airport over 16 hours later because of a closure of New York's JFK Terminal One.

MSN
Feb 17, 2023 at 6:25pmWeb
Show threadJoseph KatzFeb 17, 2023

@kairyssdal
"diverting to another U.S. port would have meant the aircraft would remain on the ground for several days,"

I'm not sure how I feel about this logic... Would having the plane on the ground caused other passengers inconvenience or just cause a small monetary loss?

Show threadStrawberry PigtailsFeb 17, 2023
@jckatz411 @kairyssdal If that airline has as heavy utilization as its US counterparts, both. Most US airlines have few if any spare ready aircraft. Plenty of mothballs in the desert, but not many ready to fly.
Show threadJoseph KatzFeb 17, 2023

@strawberrypigtails
Thanks so while it was a horrible deal for the people on that flight, it was probably better for the people scheduled on future flights. Seems like a good decision then.

@kairyssdal

Show threadStrawberry PigtailsFeb 18, 2023
@jckatz411 @kairyssdal Possibly... I think so. A lot of things would go into a decision like this. Fuel cost, crew cost, Equipment cost (planes usually aren't owned), opportunity cost (lost fares), as well as local laws. In the end, either it was the best decision, or someone goofed the math.
Show threaddrakbaileyFeb 17, 2023
@kairyssdal Are you sure that wasn't a Delta flight? 😂
Show threadAvi Rappoport (avirr)Feb 17, 2023
@kairyssdal ah they were in the middle of the Pacific, that makes it a little easier to understand.
Show threadMy Dog Eats PecansFeb 17, 2023
@kairyssdal that's absolutely unacceptable. Wild that was a better option all things considered.