About 40 people slept overnight on cots at the Martha’s Vineyard Airport this weekend after a pair of late flights were canceled.
Flights to Washington D.C. and New York were grounded Saturday due to the evening storms and several other factors, stranding dozens of people who were unable to get a last-minute reservation off the busy Island, said Geoff Freeman, the airport director.
Around 11 p.m. West Tisbury police, emergency management officials and Oak Bluffs firefighters started to coordinate a shelter at the airport for between 35 to 45 tired travelers.
“There were many people who were stranded,” said Russell Hartenstine, the emergency management director for West Tisbury. “We were there to help them out.”
The Oak Bluffs Fire Department brought cots to the airport from the Oak Bluffs School and they were scattered through the small terminal building.
“It was nice to provide these people a place to lay down that’s not the floor of the airport,” said Nelson Wirtz, the Oak Bluffs fire chief.
The terminal normally closes after the last flight of the day departs, according to Mr. Freeman. This was the first time during his tenure that this many people were stranded and forced to stay overnight.
“Given the fact there were so many people, we had to keep it open,” Mr. Freeman said.
The impromptu shelter was broken down Sunday morning and folks were being rebooked on new flights.
