The Reason the airport was shut down

[Perky]

The city closed the airport down because of tactical concerns about being able to get planes back out again.

Airline Ground personel being citizens of NO had to get out of town as well... It was a mandatory order to evac.

There was no one there to manage the passengers loading. Suitcases, family pets, etc.

Airport workers had to get out of town with their families as well.

There was no conspiracy to deny African Americans this escape route. THis was not about airline profits.

Cmon people...think before you post!!!

[benburch]

1. Bullshit.

Military people -- Air force people - Should have taken over IMMEDIATELY

[Perky]

4. Thanks for the Naive response

what military personnel? what planes?

No one is trained to do commercial ops.

sure you fly in C5-A at incredbile cost and you had no certainty that Katrina would hoit the city 24 hours ahead of time.

[benburch]

7. I know my Air force.

Most of the Reserve are airline personnel. They know JUST how to do this.

[Perky]

5. Thanks for the Naive response

what military personnel? what planes?

No one is trained to do commercial ops.

sure you fly in C5-A at incredbile cost and you had no certainty that Katrina would hoit the city 24 hours ahead of time.

[Jeanette in FL]

6. I agree

The Governor of Lousiana said that they were abandoned by the airlines, that they were refusing to fly to Louisiana with an empty plane since people were cancelling flights into NO. She said that flights were being cancelled as early as Saturday, stranding tourist and citizens. Government should have taken over at that point.

[Perky]

11. Which governemnt?

THe state is not empowered and FEMA MIlitary can not comandeeer commercial airlines until the disaster hits.


the city could not very well order the airline workers to stay. Its is nopt their jusrisdiction.


The state? Prior to to the Hurricane hitting.. Ordering airlines to service the city.....they simply do not have the autority.

[Jeanette in FL]

15. The same Govenment that bails

Their asses out everytime there is a national problem. That government

[rsmith6621]

9. What Military

Bush had to give the order.....he was on vacation......but everything is going to be OK...bush says so.

[johnnie]

17. You mean declare martial law?

I thought they did that, it didn't go over too well.

[tx_dem41]

21. I work at a Naval Air Station a great deal of the time...

the military moves their planes whenever a hurricane (or even a tropical storm) is near.

[benburch]

22. Right. But the storm was gone days ago. This happened today. nt

[Libby2]

2. I don't have a problem with them shutting

down the airport, it is WHEN they shut it down
Even the governor said they could have got more people out of there.

[MnFats]

3. OK, even if it wasn't racism...it was gross incompetence...

...which reaches the level of criminal negligence. It simply should not have happened.

[Perky]

8. I don't disgree

I am just saying to be conspiratorial or play the race card or to say it was the airline pulling out for financial reasons is just foolish.

[geomon666]

10. Nonsense

Planes were still flying mere moments before Andrew hit and that was a CAT 5 so that excuse is complete and utter nonsense. The real reason was to safeguard their million dollar planes. Property over people is the creed these days and it's f***ing disgusting.

[Perky]

13. you statement needs to be backed up with facts.

THere is n way planes were landing at MIA minutes before andrew.

Not with the air pressure drpppin...not with the feeder bland an 100 MPH winds.... It simply is not possible to fly commercially in those conditions,

[geomon666]

19. I didn't say landing I said taking off

And yes there were planes still there cause there are picture of the planes strewn all over the airport.

Now where are your facts?

[Perky]

14. you statement needs to be backed up with facts.

THere is n way planes were landing at MIA minutes before andrew.

Not with the air pressure drpppin...not with the feeder bland an 100 MPH winds.... It simply is not possible to fly commercially in those conditions,

[spuddonna]

12. There are many stories of foreign/national tourists...

who went to the airport on Sat, were told the flights were cancelled, there were no alternate flights, and had to ride out the storm at the downtown Hyatt/Marriott/etc.

There were also the first accusations of price gouging on some flights on Sat that were reported to the Attorney General's office... I haven't heard anything else on this, the news has gotten so much worse now...

I can't believe that the NG was not able to go in, and assume ops in the commercial airport on Monday, as soon as the outer bands were finished in the area. As someone said, this entire disaster recovery is a huge FUBAR mess...

[Perky]

16. Tuesday Morning QUarterbacking.

LOok people who stayed had no idea the Levees would break...THE NG had no idea the levees would break.

The airlines had no idea the levees would break.

[spuddonna]

18. I sure hope you are being sarcastic...

They did know the levees would breach. This was a huge concern because they knew the levees were only rated to Cat 3 level hurricane strength.

Bush slashed funding to upgrade these levees, and now FEMA is STILL not doing its job.

A General on WWL just said "FEMA's behavior is a NATIONAL DISGRACE!!!" This was a well know possible disaster in the making, and they stopped the funding to prevent it. Now they are mismanaging this rescue op just like they mismanaged the country for the past 4 yrs...

[Misunderestimator]

20. And no one ever thought people would use planes as bombs.

Whatever! All I heard on Saturday and Sunday was how the levees might burst if the hurricane hit NO dead on.