New York faces gridlock as mass transit struggles; airports open - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

All three major New York airports are open again after Superstorm Sandy shut them down.

LaGuardia reopened Thursday on a limited schedule. Its bigger international counterparts, Kennedy and Newark Liberty, had already reopened on a limited basis.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the first plane landing at LaGuardia was a Delta Air Lines flight out of Syracuse.

Spokesman Pasquale DiFulco strongly urges passengers to confirm flights before heading to the airport. He says Kennedy and Newark should be at full operations tomorrow.

Getting to the airports could be a challenge, though. Millions of commuters took the only options available Thursday morning, cramming city buses and taxis. There was gridlock as commuters attempted to drive in with their own cars, jamming the streets.

Dozens of subway stops will have to be drained and repaired before they can reopen.

The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel is still filled with water that has to be pumped out.  The Army Corps of Engineers is bringing in 250 high-speed pumping devices this morning to begin draining the tunnel of water.

On Long Island, the rail track remains blocked by downed trees and debris. Crews are working to clear and repair tracks so rail service can reopen.

As of this morning, there is limited train, bus and subway service in the city.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)