LaGuardia Airport Open on Thursday: Limited Flight Schedules to be Running

By Jon Campbell, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, October 31, 2012

A man, who asked not to be identified, stands with Lucille Dwyer on among the wreckage of their homes devastated by fire and the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the Breezy Point section of the Queens borough of New York October 31, 2012. The U.S. Northeast began crawling back to normal on Wednesday after monster storm Sandy crippled transportation, knocked out power for millions and killed at least 45 people in nine states with a massive storm surge and rain that caused epic flooding. | (Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

LaGuardia airport is to open again on Thursday Nov. 1 following suffering extensive flooding from Hurricane Sandy.

"Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced this afternoon the reopening of LaGuardia Airport tomorrow morning, November 1, at 7:00 AM," a press release proclaimed. "Both runways will be open."

The Port Authority's website also confirmed the news, saying there would be "limited flight schedules."

However, the website warned, "Please contact your airline before traveling to the airport to determine the status of your flight."

The New York City airports were hit badly by the fierce storms that arrived with Sandy, and in particular, the flooding seen across the airports were unprecedented.

However, officials have been fast in efforts to get the airports up and running again, and despite huge power outages hitting the New York and New Jersey regions, earlier on Wednesday the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced the reopening of two airports in the metropolitan area, John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty. Although the airports only opened to limited air traffic, it was an important first step in getting the regions back on their feet.

Although news about LaGuardia Airport was later coming, the release from Gov. Cuomo's office was welcome news to thousands awaiting updates on their flight situations for the coming days.

Hurricane Sandy has devastated the East Coast, leaving more than 50 dead and more than 8 million without power. Across Lower Manhattan, New Jersey and Staten Island hundreds of thousands were left without power or water, and cell phone coverage has been out in the aftermath of Sandy's arrival. That has left thousands without any way to find out news or updates about the recovery situation, or to get messages to loved ones worried about them. With the Subway network down, as well as other transport links, many have been left without any means to find out any news.