Transportation secretary Norman Y. Mineta ordered all commercial flights grounded today, with the exception of those that were on runways at the time of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
FedEx Ground spokesperson Allison Sobczak said the company does not have facilities in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center once stood, and that all personnel are accounted for and okay.
Because trucks are not being allowed into New York City, FedEx is diverting incoming trucks to its Woodbridge, NJ facilty, which is south of Newark.
"We have contingency plans to use trucks instead of planes for our air shipments but probably won't use it," Sobczak said.
FedEx expects packages to Manhattan to arrive 24 to 48 hours late.
UPS spokesperson Dan McMackin said they will stage their trucks as close to New York City as possible, in New Jersey, and deliver as soon as it it allowed to.
Tuesday's incident happened before UPS dispatches trucks from its 43rd St. facility so they were not in an affected area. The company said it sustained no loss of life or equipment.
