Thousands of travellers are stranded at South Florida airports as a combination of factors, including severe weather, spring break crowds, and government shutdown-related staffing shortages, has halted travel plans.
It is reported that the delay can stretch until Thursday, March 19, or longer.
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, a chaotic scene is seen with hundreds of frustrated travellers.
The chaos is mainly due to deadly tornadoes that hit the South and blizzards in the Midwest. Considering the severe weather conditions, nearly 4,800 flights were cancelled nationwide on Monday, March 16, alone.
However, weather is not the only factor. A partial government shutdown has caused TSA agents (working without pay) to call out sick en masse, with some airports seeing absentee rates jump from 2% to over 21%.
Acting Deputy TSA Administrator Adam Stahl warned that if the situation continues, it “is not hyperbole to suggest that we might have to quite literally shut down airports.”
As of Tuesday evening, FLL had 103 cancellations and 384 delays, while Miami International Airport had 49 cancellations and 429 delays.
For people like Alajah Buchanan, who has been stuck at the airport since March 16, the delay seems endless.
Travelers are advised to contact their airlines before heading to the airport, as the situation is expected to cause long delays.
