Posted by Web Staff - email | Facebook | Twitter
CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) - The International Airport in Newark was shut down and thrown into chaos last week when the boyfriend of a passenger slipped past security ropes to kiss his friend goodbye. Here in Cleveland, as it turns out, we don't need a security breach to shut down Hopkins...just a small fire on a utility pole.
It happened last Sunday when the fire knocked out both primary and back-up power lines to the airport. The result was pandemonium with thousands of passengers stranded for nearly eight hours before first energy could figure out how to restore the power.
How - you might ask - is it possible that in the 21 century - a major metropolitan airport could be taken off line so easily? Well, it's because-believe it or not, Hopkins unlike other major airports does not have backup generators to keep the terminal operating in the event of a blackout and what's more-the airport and the city think that's ok.
Hopkins officials said Tuesday that catastrophic power failures like the one Sunday happen too infrequently to warrant such an investment. That approach, in this day and age and with everything else that makes air travel a nightmare is just unacceptable. If Hopkins is serious about presenting itself as a modern metropolitan airport, the least they can do is keep the lights on.
Write and let me know what you think. I'm Bill Applegate and here's the address.
©2010 WOIO. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WOIO, a Raycom Media Station.
