Planes still run on schedule in Des Moines

Anna Holland

It’s business as usual at the Des Moines International Airport after American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in New York Monday morning, killing all 255 people on board.

Of the 32 arrivals and 30 departures scheduled Monday, only one flight to Chicago O’Hare was delayed after the aircraft crashed in a residential area in Queens, one of New York’s five boroughs.

“Things seem to be running pretty smoothly,” said Michael Audino, Des Moines International Airport spokesperson. “With the one exception, everything is on time.”

When the Airbus 300-600 crashed in a Queens neighborhood three minutes after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport, all three New York-area airports – Newark, LaGuardia and Kennedy – closed.

The airports later reopened to accept incoming flights, and Newark and LaGuardia also allowed departures.

The closures caused several delays in major hubs, including Chicago O’Hare, the nation’s busiest airport.

Audino said he does not expect the crash to lead to either the shutdown of the airport or tighter security measures going into the busy holiday travel season.

“At this point, the Federal Aviation Administration has not issued further security measures,” he said. “It’s everybody’s hope that we will be operating as usual in the next few weeks.”

Travelers planning to fly during the Thanksgiving holiday should arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure and check with the airport about flight schedules, Audino said.

“There are a lot of variables that could cause delays,” he said. “Weather is one, particularly at this time of year. And it’s way too early to come to conclusions about [Monday’s crash].”

Passengers waiting to board flights from Des Moines said they weren’t at all worried to travel.

Sara Abolt, who was returning to San Francisco Monday after visiting her family in Des Moines, said she heard about the crash on television in the morning.

“If there’s already been a plane wreck today, then the chances decrease for me to be in one,” she said.

Abolt, whose flight to San Francisco was on time, said knowing about the crash made her feel more secure about flying.

“It almost makes me feel they’ll step up security even more and watch for things like that,” Abolt said.

“They’ll work hard to make it even safer.”