1 NOV: US aviation authorities are investigating the stranding of nearly two dozen planes diverted from New York airports at the weekend because of a storm.
The aircraft were diverted to an airport at Hartford, Connecticut and passengers reported being kept aboard for up to seven hours, without additional food and with overflowing toilets.
Six of the flights were operated by JetBlue Airways.
A spokeswoman for the airline said intermittent power cuts made it difficult to refuel the planes and allow passengers to disembark.
US aviation laws adopted last year allow for carriers to be fined up to $US27,500 per passenger where a flight remains on the tarmac for more than three hours.
But penalties like this haven’t been levied to date because delays are seen to have resulted from exceptional circumstances.
However, the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating what happened at the weekend.
