MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FLA. (WSVN) - Exhausted travelers at South Florida airports were frozen in place as they dealt with a fresh batch of delays and cancellations linked to this past weekend’s winter storm.
Meanwhile, airlines looked to Miami International Airport, currently the warmest in the lower 48 states, as a hub to bring their aircraft in from the cold.
7News cameras captured long lines at MIA and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Tuesday morning. It quickly became another busy day of travel.
Except for those passengers waiting for a flight out of South Florida. Like Dena Barrera, who is trying to fly home.
“My daughter and I went to Colombia for the Bad Bunny concert, and so, we’re heading back to our home in San Antonio, Texas,” she said.
It’s hardly the way anyone wants to end a vacation: stranded and frustrated.
Barrera and her daughter were forced to sleep overnight in uncomfortable chairs at MIA because hotels were booked.
“We went through immigration, and we got to Terminal D, and it looked like the flight was delayed from 9:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.,” she said. “So we got in line to go through [the Transportation Security Administration], and as we were waiting in TSA, the flight got canceled. We’ve been at the airport sleeping.”
Barrera was one of many passengers going through this frustrating ordeal.
Raffy, who was trying to fly home to the U.S. Virgin Islands, spoke with 7News on Monday.
“It’s been quite the experience. I wouldn’t want to wish it on anybody,” he said.
Flight information boards listed all flights that were delayed or canceled on Monday. In total, more than 300 flights were canceled and close to 700 were delayed between MIA and FLL.
The travel headaches unfold as a deadly winter storm that swept across much of the country over the weekend continues to impact air travel.
On Tuesday, FlightAware.com reported that 143 of 145 canceled flights at MIA were operated by American Airlines. The airline said 25% of its flights nationwide are grounded. American Airlines says these few days of cancellations are the most it has had in its 100-year history.
Due to the cancelled flights, MIA officials say they are opening up space for people to sleep.
“We’ve been able to open up our North Terminal Auditorium for passengers who are left behind. So [on Monday,] we had about 125 passengers who used our auditorium. We deployed cots, etcetera, so people could have a place to sleep and rest,” said MIA Director Ralph Cutie.
At FLL, passengers grew increasingly frustrated.
“The flight got canceled. I had to rebook, like put a flight for tonight ’cause I have work, and then that gets delayed, actually two and a half hours,” said a traveler.
Airlines across the U.S. keep trying to catch up and return to normal, as travel disruptions continue to pose an obstacle for beleaguered travelers.
Siena was trying to fly home to Washington, D.C.
“My flight got delayed till 11:40 tonight, and it was delayed like that for like an hour, and then, at like 6:30, an hour before I boarded, it got switched back on time, so I left for the airport, got here, but obviously, I’m not going to make it in time,” she said.
Over at MIA, passengers were equally frustrated.
“I came here for a visit, a vacation, and I got stuck here with the storm,” said a traveler.
These passengers said they want to get home, regardless of the wintry conditions waiting for them.
“We’d love to just be at home, snuggling up in our 40-degree cold weather, 30-degree cold weather. It’s not that bad,” said Barrera.
MIA officials told 7News that several major airlines contacted them to keep their planes from cities like New York and Dallas at this airport until conditions up north improve.
“Just generally trying to help everybody get through this crisis. It’s really an unprecedented weather event,” said Cutie.
The airport closed down two taxiways overnight to store planes from across the nation due to the freezing temperatures.
“Typically, overnight, about 40 aircraft every night. [Now], we’ve been overnighting 80+,” said Cutie.
As of Tuesday night, 233 flights have been cancelled at MIA. At FLL, 39 flights have been cancelled.
Officials expect the storm-related delays and cancellations to continue for at least the next two days.
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