Latest news with #FrankConti
Metro
03-06-2025
- Metro
Horror as toddler found riding baggage conveyer belt at embattled airport
A two-year-old child was discovered riding a baggage conveyer belt from a ticketing desk to a luggage at an airport marred with multiple problems. The toddler snuck behind a JetBlue ticketing counter at Newark Liberty International Airport while his parents weren't looking, and onto a conveyer belt where baggage are checked in. He rode the conveyer belt to the checked bag room on the lower level of the airport in New Jersey on Wednesday, according to officials. As soon as adults realized the small child was missing, two officers with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees the airport, jumped on the belt. 'The two cops were able to move fast into the system, which was vital,' Port Authority Police PBA President Frank Conti told Pix11. 'There was a split in the belts. One officer went toward one direction, one toward the other direction.' An officer then saw the toddler approaching an X-ray unit. He was rescued and unharmed, but medical responders examined him to make sure. The situation was 'extremely dangerous,' said Keith Jeffries, who is vice president for K2 Security Screening Group. 'You've got diverters back there that are actually these gigantic pushers or levers, if you will, that will shove those bags down the appropriate conveyor belt, and that alone can be fatal for a small child,' he told ABC News. The toddler was rescued more than nine months after a 57-year-old woman was found dead after getting tangled up in a baggage claim conveyer belt at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The terrifying incident happened at the airport that has made national headlines in recent months for having many canceled or delayed flights due to a shortage of air traffic controllers and runway construction. On more than one occasion, controllers lost radar communications with planes for about 90 seconds. The issues lead to United Airlines, which has Newark airport as a hub, to cut back numerous routes going in and out from there. On Monday, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the runway at Newark that was closed for repairs had reopened two weeks ahead of schedule. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: US suggests Palestinian state should be in the French Riviera MORE: Map shows where northern lights will be visible tonight in the US MORE: Flight path overhaul revealed – here's what it means journey times and delays
Daily Mail
02-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Another disaster at Newark Airport as TODDLER gets lost on luggage conveyor belt
Embattled Newark Airport is raising eyebrows for yet another disaster, this time involving a child. A two-year-old managed to ride on top of Newark Liberty International Airport's baggage conveyer belt last week after slipping behind a ticketing counter without his parents noticing. The tot then climbed onto the ankle-high conveyer belt where passengers leave their luggage before boarding their flights. The incident occurred inside Terminal A on Wednesday, May 28, as the child's mother was attempting to re-book a flight on Jet-Blue Airlines. The toddler rode the conveyor belt down to the checked baggage room on the lower level of the airport. Port Authority officers responded to the incident and located the child. Port Authority Police PBA President Frank Conti told Pix11 that the responding officers jumped on the conveyor belt to track down the toddler. 'The two cops were able to move fast into the system,' he told the outlet. Which was vital.' 'There was a split in the belts,' he explained. 'One officer went toward one direction, one toward the other direction.' 'One of them was able to observe the child as the child was approaching one of the x-ray units.' The child was unharmed when he was found. Medics were dispatched to check the child as a precaution. The incident comes as Newark Airport has been plagued by delays and cancellations for months. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy held a news conference at the airport on Monday to announce the reopening of a major runway nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. The ongoing delays have been caused by air traffic control outages, runway construction, and the fact that over 20 percent of FAA controllers at Newark walked off the job, among other factors. Just last month, health officials also sounded the alarm over a potential measles outbreak at Newark Airport. An infected individual traveled through the airport's Terminal B - used by United, JetBlue and international airlines, potentially exposing hundreds to the world's most infectious disease. And the week prior to that, Newark airport's control tower went dark for 90 seconds, prompting workers to take trauma leave as chaos ensued at the travel hub. The case also marked at least the second time a measles infected patient has passed through Newark's gates, after another patient also visited in early April.
