Travelers still stranded at JFK airport one day after water main break

NEW YORK, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Travelers were still enduring delays at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday, after flooding from a water main break forced evacuations and flights suspensions over the weekend.

The airport is currently experiencing departure delays an average of 31 minutes, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware.

At approximately 2 p.m. on Sunday, a water pipe that feeds the terminal's sprinkler system broke in the privately operated Terminal 4, said a statement by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

International flights to Terminal 4 were temporarily suspended and passengers who had already arrived there were diverted to other terminals, according to the Port Authority.

More than 500 flights into or out of JFK were canceled and nearly 1,400 delayed from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, said FlightAware.

"What happened at JFK Airport is unacceptable, and travelers expect and deserve better," said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton.

"While the water pipe break that occurred appears to be weather-related, we have launched an investigation into the incident to determine exactly what occurred and why an internal pipe was not weather protected and whether any other failures contributed to this disruption," he said. Enditem