A combination of weather issues, staffing shortages, and heavy spring break travel is disrupting flights at Palm Beach International Airport on Tuesday morning, causing cancellations and delays for travelers across South Florida.
Airport officials reported about a dozen flight cancellations early Tuesday, with delays continuing to mount as the morning progressed.
“We had to get an Airbnb last-minute in Miami. All the rental cars were sold out. If they weren’t, they were $1,000, so now we had to get the Airbnb, take an Uber from Miami to where we are now, Palm Beach. Now, we’re getting a rental car out of Palm Beach to drive back to Atlanta, because there are no flights till tomorrow,” said Paige Pettit while picking up her rental car at PBI.
Paige and Shaun are both in the Army. The duo just got off a cruise in Miami and have been faced with travel stress ever since they stepped off the boat.
“It’s going to be like, nine hours or so to Atlanta, and then, since my car was parked there, since we’re supposed to arrive there, got to drive another two hours back to Columbus,” said Shaun Parker, while picking up his rental car at PBI.
“We’re positive people, excited to see our daughter. We get to pick her up for my parents when we get back,” said Pettit.
Several outbound flights were canceled, including routes to Atlanta, Houston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Orlando, New York’s LaGuardia Airport, and Hartford, Connecticut. Additional departures to Fort Lauderdale, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, Atlanta, Islip, New York, and Boston were delayed.
“I’m trying to get from PBI over to Boston. So yeah, I got here literally, like, 30 minutes before boarding. They canceled, and so they just rebooked me in two days. So, a little hectic, but, you know, it’s part of the woes here when it comes to flying, for sure,” said Louis Lopez, while trying to fly to Boston.
“I’ll just put it this way. I’d rather rebook here, because I know if I were to try Miami before Latter Day, it would have been crazy, so I’d rather wait an extra day, because you never know there with all the people and just probably the madness,” said Lopez.
Arrivals were also impacted, with cancellations reported from Westchester County Airport in New York and multiple disruptions involving flights from Washington, D.C., and JFK Airport. The disruptions have left some travelers unable to reach Palm Beach County.
The travel issues extend beyond West Palm Beach. At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, long lines were reported at check-in, with crowds spilling outside terminals and passengers waiting in extended queues inside. Similar conditions were reported at airports in Miami, Tampa, and Orlando.
Officials say the disruptions are the result of a “perfect storm” of factors, including weather-related delays, staffing shortages linked to the partial government shutdown, and an increase in passenger volume during the spring break travel season.
“A little bit I wanted to go home on, you know, St Patrick’s Day, but we’re going to stay here a little, couple more days,” said Valerie while trying to get to Boston.
“JetBlue is not that bad. I haven’t flown since 2005, I swear to God, so. They’re really good, and they got us tickets right away on another flight on Thursday,” said Valerie.
Travelers are advised to arrive early, check their flight status before heading to the airport, and allow extra time for security screening as delays are expected to continue.
TSA officers have now officially missed their first full paycheck since the partial government shutdown began four weeks ago.
Long lines are still being reported at airports across the country, as many agents are calling out sick or leaving their jobs altogether. As of today, nearly 3,000 flights have been delayed with about another 1,000 canceled across the U.S.
For many travelers, especially in major airport hubs like Atlanta and Newark, frustration is growing.
“I’ve been in line for 45 minutes and apparently, it’s another hour,” said Richard Alexander who was flying out of Atlanta.
Passenger Ayush Kakkar was flying out of Newark, NJ.
“I get the whole, the whole line because there’s obviously less employees and obviously security is pretty important in the airport,” Kakkar said. “So, I do empathize with the employees who are not getting paid. It makes sense.”
On Sunday, airline executives released a joint letter calling on congress to pay TSA workers and other airport staff during shutdowns.
Credits: 12News
