Turtles on JFK Runway Delay Flights
Ryan Boyd July 18, 2016
Nearly 400 diamondback terrapins have wandered onto the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in 2016, causing flight delays while workers collect them from runways and taxis. The turtles lay eggs and build nests in the nearby Jamaica Bay salt marshes near the airport, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed that wayward turtles have a tendency to cause hiccups for flight schedules.
“Anything can be a hazard to aircraft, even turtles,” said Laura Francoeur, the Port Authority’s chief wildlife biologist, and after collecting the turtles from hazardous areas, airport employees measure and tag the reptiles before returning them to a safe habitat. In 2015, 163 turtles allegedly managed to wander onto airport property.
To read more on this story, go to The Dallas Morning News.
[Photo: The New York Times]
I like turtles.
Awe, hope all turtles get safely rescued. Also, shame on the Port Authority for having persistent issues with the JFK perimeter. Turtles can't jump, fly, and barely climb. So the airport fence must be really pathetic for this to happen.