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April 10, 2008

Expect vacation crowds at Green Airport this weekend

For those traveling through T.F. Green Airport in Warwickthis weekend, expect crowds.

The weekend before April vacation week is among the busiest of the year at the state's largest airport, said Patti Goldstein, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island Airport Corporation.

She said that for tomorrow, 91 percent of all available seats are booked. For Saturday, 93 percent are booked. There are a total of 186 arriving and departing flights every weekday, she said.

To make matters worse, inspection issues with American Airlines planes could affect the travel plans of those booked on American Eagle flights who plan to travel beyond Chicago.

American canceled 900 more flights today after safety inspections discovered that the airline failed to follow a directive by the FAA regarding the securing of wiring in the wheel wells of some of its Boeing MD-80 jets. American canceled 1,094 flights on Wednesday and 460 on Tuesday.

While American does not operate the MD-80 out of Green Airport, those who plan to transfer to another flight in Chicago could experience delays, Goldstein said.

American Eagle has three daily flights from Green Airport to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, one of American's hubs. The flights all depart in the morning, and each has a capacity of 44 passengers.

American has set up a Web page with updates about the problem and how travelers can go about changing their plans.

-- Journal staff writer Timothy C. Barmann

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 4:48 PM | Permalink

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