Small commentary on pragmatism, cooperation, and community
I find this event has caught airlines flying to the UK and EU countries with their collective pants down and I am very surprised there are not alternative contingencies being sought out. With thousands of passengers being kept in sandwiches and marginal accommodations around the world, how is it that an actionable plan is not worked out among our transit partners?
For example, for those seeking to return home to the EU and UK, why have flights not begun departing for the still remaining open airports in Southern Italy and Spain and then motor coach and rail could carry passengers home from there? The same could be accomplished for the reverse - that is those wishing to leave the UK and European continent.
Finally one other point: Here in the states there are hundreds of passengers stranded at JFK with a few of the lucky ones finding rooms in nearby Manhattan and Brooklyn. How is it that society has become so jaded and disconnected that local residents and civic organizations haven't opened their hearts and doors to these unlucky travelers? There would seem to be a threshold of misfortune that must be crossed before people start thinking beyond their own perimeters and comfort zones.