Student activists stuck at Kennedy Airport
A group of student activists was to take off Monday evening for Israel after sitting on the tarmac at JFK for nine hours on Sunday night before being ordered back to the gate to deplane and remain in the terminal for the rest of the night and all day Monday. The flight was due to take off at 7:15pm on Monday. But it didn't (see below). What you're about to read was written by one of the passengers (Hat Tip: Lance K).The flight was scheduled to depart around 6:30PM heading toward Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel but was unable to do so.As I wrote, the flight was due to take off at 7:15pm on Monday. But they've been delayed again - to 8:55pm on Monday. Here's the latest from El Al's web site:
The flight was completely boarded, de-iced, and ready for takeoff when Kennedy Airport officials supposedly closed down the entire airport with no official authorization for tarmac movement. The plane, carrying what must be hundreds of passengers flying to the Holy Land after Christmas, is currently stuck on the JFK tarmac, and has remained here for the last 5+ hours.
Among the passengers are 80+ pro-Israel activists associated with Hasbara Fellowships as well as students on the Meor Program affiliated with RJX or the Rutgers Jewish Experience. There are students from all over the country, anywhere from Columbia University in New York, University of Maryland, schools in Boston like BU, Harvard & Brandeis, and even as far out as the UC Schools in California. The students were planning on heading to Israel for extended programs featuring advocacy training and educational components geared toward proactive Israel activism on college campuses.
As of now, the captain has kept passengers updated as much as possible. The El Al crew have been very accommodating and helpful; they are really doing all they can. The passengers were served dinner, given drinks every half hour or so as well as snacks when requested. We do not believe we are the only ones stranded out here in the snow, as we can view at least one other plane stuck on the tarmac with us, what seems to be a Continental-United flight.
Attached please find a picture of a window seat view of the wing of the El Al plane, completely covered in snow.
And they're not the only ones.
Labels: El Al, Great Blizzard of 2010
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:32 AM
3 Comments:
my very good friends were supposed to leave tonite to the aretz for their youngest daughter's chasana on the 30th
im taking it that they are stuck too
with hashem's help, i hope all is well
i hear that people in the 5 towns have sent over food and other items for those who are stuck at the airport
Carl - are you at the airport? Imagine being stuck in snow hell for days!
El Al has eaten up the costs of the delay and won't charge them extra... its no one's fault.
G-d willing, they will be on their way to Israel when the weather clears!
Could be worse.
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