Photo by VanessaNYC
A terminal at JFK airport has been evacuated due to a security breach similar to the one at Newark Airport last week. NBC reported that at 4 p.m. today a passenger was able to enter a secure area without being properly screened. Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said that Terminal 8 was shut down and all passengers were forced to leave and go through screening again, according to AP. He didn’t describe details about the breach. One of our readers, at the airport, told us: "Exiting terminal at JFK due to security breach. Heard flight attendant say 'he got on the plane.'"
The terminal handles both domestic and international flights for American Airlines, and reportedly, "Some flights were being delayed, and two American planes that had landed were waiting on the tarmac for permission to proceed to their gates." A spokesman for the airline says he does not know how long it will take to fully reopen the terminal.
Update: AP reported the the breach involved someone who left a first-class American Airlines area by opening a door designated for airport personnel only. Coleman said it was unclear whether the person was a passenger, and the incident, which occurred at 3:30 pm, was recorded by security cameras. The Port Authority police is searching for the person who opened the door.
