Spring break plans for thousands headed to or from South Florida have been thrown into disarray as severe thunderstorms pounded the region, grounding flights and shaking up major events. Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) were hit hard by weather delays with MIA grounding all departures on Saturday morning, confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration's National Airspace System. Adding to the woes, a disabled aircraft briefly forced a runway shutdown, and lightning strikes contributed to the delay melee, CBS News Miami reported.
Travelers faced swelling frustration with the average delay at MIA topping over an hour and a half, according to the FAA's National Airspace System Status. MIA was juggling record numbers this spring break, seeing about 170,000 passengers each day. As a storm system swept through Friday night, Saturday became a logjam with the airports reporting over a thousand delayed flights combined. Miami's airport chaos included three canceled departures, one canceled arrival, and 57 delayed flights, and as CBS News Miami indicated, the delays are expected to spill throughout the day.
Gripped by this sudden halt, passengers found themselves stranded, grappling not only with the delays but also with the spring break travel surge making accommodations scarce and sharply pricier. "Because there were some flight delays due to weather, I got stuck here overnight," stranded traveler Amoie Hutchinson shared in a statement acquired by WSVN. She described a frantic scramble to find a hotel amidst soaring rates due to the influx of spring break tourists and other major events in the area.
The turmoil rippled beyond the airports as the Ultra Music Festival, expecting 55,000 revellers, had to shut down prematurely Friday due to the dangerous weather. The festival's organizers directed attendees to leave the park in an orderly fashion for their safety, per posts on its social media accounts. The Miami Open, a cornerstone tennis tournament, also felt the storm's impact, facing a six-hour delay for Friday's matches and eventually suspending that day's games, WSVN reported.
Amid the downpour of delays and cancellations, Miami International Airport has been proactive in advising travelers to remain in contact with their airlines for the most current flight updates. In a statement shared on X, MIA warned of the potential operational impact of March 23's inclement weather and has continued to keep passengers informed as conditions evolve.
⚠️ #WeatherAdvisory (30/23/24) ⚠️
— Miami Int'l Airport (@iflymia) March 23, 2024
Inclement weather may impact operations on March 23. If you're traveling, please get in touch with your airline for the latest flight updates. pic.twitter.com/Zt1gxfi5Y9
