Fort Laud.-Hollywood Airport Open, But Some Still Stranded

Oct. 28, 2005
The airport reopened Thursday after hurricane-force winds forced it to close for three days.

Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport reopened Thursday after hurricane-force winds forced it to close for three days. But Bronx nurses aide Luna Arthurs still couldn't catch a flight Thursday afternoon.

American Airlines said ''they have nothing available,'' Arthurs said. ``And they say there's nothing they can do. We asked if we could do standby and they wouldn't even listen to us. It's really terrible.''

So as the county-run airport gradually came back to life, Arthurs and five others in her party were staking out a couch near the check-in counter for an overnight stay. They originally planned to fly out Tuesday after a six-day Caribbean cruise on the Coral Princess.

About half of the carriers are operating normally at the airport, while the rest have half to three quarters of their flights back on schedule, according to Tom Jargiello, airport director in Fort Lauderdale. Customers should call their airlines to confirm flights. ''We will continue to open and close the airport based on the designated curfews as established by the mayor with the consultation of the sheriff,'' he said.

On Tuesday, airport officials had opened the facility to private planes and emergency aircraft, but shut down commercial flights, blaming low water pressure and a lack of power in certain parts of the building.

The water pressure, which is needed to operate fire hydrants and sprinkler systems, didn't return to normal until Wednesday night, Jargiello said. While the check-in terminals were busy with crowds anxious to leave Fort Lauderdale on Thursday afternoon, the baggage-claim area was relatively quiet.

Apparently few people want to come to Fort Lauderdale.

Among the handful of fliers on a United Airlines flight from Denver was Lance Lindsey or Eugene Oregon. He decided to come to Fort Lauderdale only after obtaining assurance his friend had power back at his house.

Lindsey, a 30-year-old general manager of a pool and patio store, and his friend had planned to go to Key West to Fantasy Fest, but wound up shifting vacation plans to Tampa. He also plans to hit Orlando for a pool and spa expo next week. ''I almost didn't come,'' he added.

Another traveler headed out was Robert Laminsky, a 35-year-old West Palm Beach history teacher, was trying to catch a flight to New York.

A $49 one-way fare proved irresistible to Laminsky, who wanted to escape South Florida to visit his father in Suffern, N.Y., for a week. He was flying standby, but had no assurance of leaving Fort Lauderdale Thursday. He has a confirmed flight to Newark on Friday.

''[No] Electricity. Cold showers,'' Laminsky said. ``I need to leave. It's the return of the 17th century.''

Miami Herald

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