Passengers at Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport continued facing canceled flights, lengthy waits and uncertain travel plans Saturday after the Federal Aviation Administration ended Friday’s nationwide ground stop. Flights were taking off again, but the disruption carried over to travelers whose departures had been scheduled for the following day.
Miami International recorded more than 240 cancellations and about 360 delays Saturday. At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, the latest figures showed 218 cancellations and 226 delays. Long lines formed at customer service counters as passengers tried to arrange new flights, retrieve luggage and determine whether they would need somewhere to stay.
Jennifer Champagne, who was trying to return to Canada from Miami, described her experience as “a complete nightmare.” After cancellations disrupted her plans, she said her luggage was on a flight while she remained at the airport. Told she could not leave until Tuesday, Nov. 17, she booked with another airline in hopes of finding an earlier way home.
Traveler Ed So also found himself stranded in Miami after returning from a cruise with his family. Traveling with a 10-year-old and his 70-year-old parents, he said his luggage had gone to Dallas. With no flights available to take them home to Canada, he booked a hotel for the night. Mike Gomez, meanwhile, had considered driving a rental car back to Denver, but felt more hopeful because his Saturday night flight was still scheduled to depart on time.
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, a traveler identified as Lisa said her flight had been moved from roughly 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., leaving a 12-hour wait. Another passenger, Michael, said he had been at the airport since the previous day and was heading to a hotel because the earliest available departure was Sunday.
Some travelers accepted routes that would leave them far from home. Linda Cumby said her noon departure was canceled after she had already gone upstairs, forcing her to return to ticketing and collect her luggage. She then hoped to fly to Washington, D.C., although she lives in Virginia Beach. Cumby said she had been told another missed departure could mean waiting two or three more days because other flights were fully booked.
Uncertainty remained even for passengers whose flights had not been canceled. Kris, who was heading to Chicago, said her departure still appeared on time but she was concerned about problems there. Amanda Jones said she did not know whether her flight would operate and that several family members were also still waiting to leave.
Friday’s ground stop was the nation’s longest since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday that restoring normal operations would take time. Although FAA officials said the worst had passed, delays and cancellations could continue into Sunday, Nov. 15. Passengers were advised to confirm their flight status with their airline before traveling to the airport.
