Monthly Progress, Volume 27, No. 9 – September 1973
TO ALL CHARTERED FLIGHT PASSENGERS!
I have inquired as to the 2½ hour delay in departure of your Charter Flight on June 30th and have found that due to the inclement weather in the New York area, J.F.K. International Airport was shut down most of the day and during the entire evening of June 30th.
This shutdown caused the rerouting of many flights to Philadelphia that were headed for J.F.K. The overcrowding of Philadelphia International prohibited your Lufthansa flight from entering the gate area, and therefore, caused the initial delay of your departure. The subsequent overcrowding and refueling of most J.F.K. bound planes, depleted all of the International fuel reserves of Atlantic Aviation, who is Lufthansa’s fuel supplier. Lufthansa proceeded to obtain domestic fuel at approximately double the cost of International fuel in order to make it possible for your charter flight to leave. Most International flights of other airlines were cancelled during that 2½ hour waiting time and rescheduled for the following day, causing the passengers to spend the night in nearly [sic] hotels or motels.
The delay in boarding and departure was caused by inclement weather, which was completely beyond the control or influence of Luthansa.
Werner Fricker, President
EDITOR’S NOTE: this was written and originally published in Monthly Progress, Volume 27, No. 9 – September 1973. It has been re-published here in 2026 with minor edits.
President Fricker was not on the chartered flight as he joined his family and the club group a week later. Werner Fricker Jr. told us that “We kids were so excited it [the delay] didn’t matter.”
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