Portland International Jetport on emergency power after severe storm
Numerous flights at Maine's largest airport faced delays on Monday as crews inspected aircraft for hail damage following a sudden and severe storm that swept through the region over the weekend.
Airport officials at Portland International Jetport confirmed that teams of maintenance personnel were deployed across the tarmac, examining fuselages, wings and tail sections of commercial planes for signs of denting or paint chipping after hail pelted the airfield during a fast-moving thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon. The storm brought heavy rain, lightning and hailstones roughly the size of quarters, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Gray.
"We take any potential hail damage seriously, even when the aircraft look fine on the outside," said Jetport spokesperson Allison Mclaughlin. "A small dent on a leading edge or a cracked panel can compromise safety, so each plane goes through a careful walk-around before it goes back into service."
The inspections come at the peak of summer travel, when the airport typically handles upward of 5,000 passengers a day. Delays began stacking up before sunrise, with at least 22 outbound and inbound flights pushed back anywhere from 30 minutes to more than two hours, according to flight-tracking data from FlightAware. By midday, the backlog had thinned, but several afternoon departures were still listed as held on the airport's information board.
Passengers described a calm but weary scene in the terminal, with many travelers dozing on座椅 or staring at overhead monitors as their departure times ticked forward. Coffee lines at the few open concessions stretched down the concourse, and gate agents handed out cups of water and apologetic updates in roughly equal measure.
"It is frustrating, but I would rather sit here an extra hour than have something go wrong in the air," said Mark Thibault, 47, of Bangor, who was waiting for a flight to Chicago for a work conference. "You can tell they are being thorough."
No injuries or cancellations had been reported as of Monday evening, though airport officials urged travelers to check with their airlines before heading to the Jetport. Airlines including Delta, American, United and Southwest all confirmed that some of their aircraft had been flagged for follow-up maintenance but said none of the damage found so far was serious enough to keep the planes grounded for more than a day.
The storm itself developed quickly, intensifying over southern Maine just after 3 p.m. on Sunday and dumping roughly 1.4 inches of rain on Portland within an hour, according to weather service records. Wind gusts topped out near 48 miles per hour, and hail was reported in Portland, South Portland, Scarborough and Westbrook. Power outages knocked out service to about 3,200 homes and businesses in the region, though most had been restored by Monday morning.
Meteorologists said pop-up thunderstorms with embedded hail are common in New England during the humid months of summer, particularly when warm air clashes with a passing cold front, as it did this weekend. They cautioned that more storms could develop later in the week as a similar pattern sets up across the Northeast.
For travelers still waiting out delays, the message from the Jetport was straightforward. "We are doing everything we can to get people moving safely," Mclaughlin said. "We appreciate everyone's patience."
Anyone whose travel plans are affected can find real-time updates on the airport's website or by contacting their carrier directly.
