STT airport runway repairs and pet travel FYI

The runway repairs at the St. Thomas airport (you know, the ones they originally said they were going to make at night?) have been delaying flights significantly, as much as 8 hours in some cases. A friend who just booked a mid-April flight was told no pet travel would be allowed into St. Thomas airport -- they said "You'll have to book a flight to Puerto Rico and go by boat."

I assume this is due to the delays endangering the health and safety of animals checked as cargo. Haven't confirmed any of this myself; just passing it on in case anyone has upcoming travel with pets -- you might want to double-check with your airline. And figure out what to do with yourself for those extra 8 hours, just in case!!