'This Is Just Pathetic': JFK Shuts Down Major International Terminal Following Power Outage Caused By Electrical Fire The closure forced a plane leaving Auckland, New Zealand headed toward JFK to divert back to its original destination after a brutal 16 hours already airborne.

By Emily Rella

Between unidentified flying objects, near-crash landings, and fires breaking out in the air, it's not exactly the most carefree time to be getting on a plane.

Now, one of the busiest airports in the world, John F. Kennedy International (JFK), had to shut down an entire terminal on Friday due to an electrical fire that caused a power outage.

Then, in what can only be described as an aviation nightmare, the closure forced a plane that left Auckland, New Zealand heading toward JFK to divert back to its original destination after a brutal 16 hours already airborne.

JFK released a statement on Twitter confirming the closure of Terminal 1 following the incident.

In a follow-up response to a concerned customer, the airport explained that the outage was caused by an "electrical panel failure" that was the original cause of the "isolated fire" that took place overnight. The airport also said that the fire was put out immediately.

Many disgruntled passengers took to the social media platform to air their grievances and ask for updates.

According to ABC News, a spokesperson for New Zealand Air explained that the plane was unable to land elsewhere in the United States because "diverting to another U.S. port would have meant the aircraft would remain on the ground for several days." Passengers on that flight have been rebooked on the next available flight out, per the same source.

Over 126 flights were delayed in and out of JFK on Friday with another 38 canceled, though FlightAware did not specify which terminal they were coming in or out of.

JFK said that it would provide updates via Twitter as soon as they become available. As of 1 p.m. EST on Friday, the terminal was still shut down.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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