NEW YORK- A fire broke out at an escalator at American Airlines (AA) occupied Concourse C of Terminal 8 at New York’s JFK Airport, caused chaos Wednesday morning (July 24, 2024).
Smoke filled the terminal, evacuating nearly 1,000 people around 7:15 a.m. The incident halted departing flights and disrupted travel plans for many passengers.
New York JFK Fire
Nine people suffered minor injuries from smoke inhalation. Four of them needed hospital treatment, though none faced life-threatening conditions. The New York Fire Department quickly responded, ventilating the terminal to clear the smoke.
The airport reopened the terminal after about 75 minutes, allowing normal operations to resume. However, the fire’s impact lingered throughout the day.
American Airlines, the main occupant of Terminal 8, had to cancel three regional flights. This affected a small portion of their 89 scheduled departures from JFK on Wednesday.
Airport officials urged travelers to check with their airlines before heading to the airport, as the incident caused ripple effects on flight schedules. The exact cause of the escalator fire remains unknown, with investigators working to determine what sparked the blaze.
American Airlines after completing a $400 million expansion project is carrying out a $125 million redevelopment plan.
JFK Airport’s Terminal 8 redevelopment project aims to strengthen ties with local communities in Queens, New York City, and New York State. This expansion will create over 300 new jobs in the terminal’s shops, restaurants, and other service areas.
Similar Incident
Last week, a similar incident occurred at one of the busiest airports in the World, Dubai International Airport (DXB) Terminal 2.
A small fire broke out at one of the check-in counters, but airport firefighters quickly put it out.
The airport apologized to passengers for the disturbance and wrote,
“Check-in at Terminal 2 is temporarily suspended due to a minor fire which was immediately brought under control by the airport fire services. We regret the inconvenience and are currently working with service partners to resolve the situation.”
The airport got back to normal in just a few hours. This happened during a busy time when lots of people were traveling through Dubai. The airport is an important stop for many international flights.
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