(The following article by Jonathan D. Salant was distributed by the Associated Press on August 15.)
WASHINGTON — As if digging out from a snowstorm, airlines and railroads slowly resumed normal schedules Friday. But travelers were urged to call or go online before heading to an airport or train station.
With power being restored to the eastern United States, stranded trains and planes were moved into position to handle Friday’s traffic. To alleviate the expected crunch, airline passengers were invited to change their reservations without penalty.
“We’re going to treat them just like this was a bad snow day,” said Ed Stewart, a Southwest Airlines spokesman.
In New York City, officials said there would be no morning rush-hour service on the city’s subways. Workers who come in from the suburbs were warned of similar woes on the two commuter lines, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North.
Thursday’s blackout left millions of travelers stuck in traffic jams, airport terminals and rail stations.
Most flights were halted for several hours Thursday in and out of Kennedy and LaGuardia airports in New York, as well as Cleveland, Newark, N.J., Toronto and Ottawa. All six airports resumed normal operations Thursday evening.
Delays ripped throughout the air traffic system as planes heading to and from the six airports couldn’t take off. Some flights were diverted to other airports, crowding those facilities. The Federal Aviation Administration (news – web sites) and the airlines said they did not know how many flights overall were affected.
Air traffic came to an almost complete halt at the six airports Thursday because there was no power to run the metal detectors and X-ray machines at security screening checkpoints, Transportation Department spokesman Leonardo Alcivar said.
Planes already in the air were allowed to land at the airports, directed by air traffic controllers operating with emergency power. That also allowed controllers to continue to direct flights to and from other airports, minimizing delays, Alcivar said.
The blackout provided yet more troubles for the struggling airline industry, which is still trying to recover from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
“We’re a resilient bunch,” said Jim May, president of the Air Transport Association, the major airlines’ trade group. “At the moment, we’ll play with the cards we’re dealt.”
Amtrak halted travel between New Haven, Conn., and Newark, N.J. Amtrak spokesman Clifford Black said no trains were stranded when the power went out.
Trains carrying passengers from Washington turned around in Newark. In Boston, train service to New York and Washington was suspended.
Passengers tried to arrange other routes, went home to try again Friday or settled in for a long wait.