Originally Posted by
HDQDD
I'll give you a hint: The 3 hour rule. It's easier to divert and not risk the fine if they can't get you to a gate @ JFK.
I agree that's a plausible explanation, but it doesn't speak that well to Delta's operational excellence or commitment to a good customer experience. FWIW, JetBlue didn't seem worried about this and had its planes late and I don't see any flights sitting on the tarmac for longer than it took for us to fly up to Boston and back.
Plus they didn't know how things would play out. With a terminal closed and (false) reports of gunfire, this was the smart play.
By 11:30, the Port Authority had already announced that there was no actual gunfire and had given the okay to resume operations. And Delta knew this, as other flights were cleared to land and proceeded fairly directly to their gates.