A JetBlue Airways flight enroute from Pittsburgh to New York's Kennedy Airport made an unscheduled landing this morning at Philadelphia International Airport. The diversion was not an emergency. The 54 passengers were given a choice of getting off and finding their own way to the New York area, or riding a bus to JFK that JetBlue chartered.
JetBlue, airport and FAA officials explained what happened. The captain of the jet dverted after a cockpit instrument indicated a problem with de-icing devices, which are mounted on the leading edge (the front part) of the wings. The devices prevent ice from building up on the wings as the plane passes through cold, wet air. The air near Kennedy had the potential for an ice buildup, so the captain decided to do the prudent thing and go to PHL, the nearest major airport where conditions were better. The FAA doesn't keep track of diversions but they're not uncommon, and they usually are because of weather conditions at the scheduled destination..In fact, three United Airline flights headed to Washington Dulles were diverted to other airports today because of the weather, an FAA spokesman said.
For anyone living in a cave the last two weeks,. JetBlue was criticized after bad weather stranded passengers in planes at JFK, its main hub, for up to 10 1/2 hours after the Valentine's Day storm. The airline has been playing catchup, promising a better performance in the future.
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