Flight cancellations and delays increase in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale airports due to heavy rain

Heavy rains have had a major impact on travel in South Florida this week, an impact that is expected to continue through the end of the week. On Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Miami-Dade and Broward counties and issued a statement warning that rain and thunderstorms could continue to impact travel in these regions for “the next few days”.

“Preliminary reports indicate that rainfall and flooding have affected and may continue to impact the operational capacity of critical infrastructure, including major highways, state and county roads, airports, schools and others critical infrastructure in these counties,” said Governor DeSantis. his statement.

Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) experienced significant cancellations and delays on Wednesday. According to FlightAware, 21% of departures from Miami and 30% of those from Fort Lauderdale were canceled, and an additional 30% from each airport were delayed.

This impact is not slowing down. For Thursday, both airports continue to face the impact of the weather as delays and cancellations begin to pile up again. Here is the situation at 7:30 a.m. local time, according to FlightAware:

• Miami International (MIA): 86 departures canceled (13% of total schedule), 18 others delayed; 102 arrivals canceled (15% of schedule), 24 others delayed.
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL): 23 departures canceled (6% of schedule), 18 others delayed (4% of schedule).

Travelers heading to either airport should not only check with their airline about the status of their flight before departing, but also check road conditions, as many roads, especially around Miami International Airport, were flooded.

“Bad weather will affect flights. If you are traveling, please contact your airline for the latest updates. We are also under flood watch. Before traveling to the airport, please check local conditions and avoid driving through flooded areas,” Miami International Airport said in a passenger advisory Thursday morning.

Fort Lauderdale tells its passengers that it is open and operational and that roads around the airport are clear, but E. Perimeter Road, which borders the airport on the east side, is closed, so travelers should avoid this route.

“The Fort Lauderdale Airport is open and operational today, but travelers should check with their airline for flight status updates before heading out. Exit roads from our terminal and airport are clear, but a section of Perimeter Road E leading to Fort Lauderdale Airport is closed due to flooding; use alternative routes,” the airport said Thursday morning.

Airline waivers
Some carriers operating in South and Central Florida have issued waivers due to weather conditions.

American Airlines has issued a waiver for Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Southwest Florida International (RSW), Sarasota Bradenton International (SRQ) and West Palm Beach (PBI). American’s waiver includes all flights departing from these airports through the end of June 16 and allows travelers to upgrade to a new flight by the end of June 20.

Delta Air Lines has issued a waiver for Fort Lauderdale and Miami, as well as Orlando International (MCO), Southwest Florida International, Sarasota Bradenton International, Tampa International and West Palm Beach. The waiver includes flights until June 14 and allows travelers to upgrade to a new flight until June 17.

Southwest is waiving fare differences for flights through Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Miami and West Palm Beach scheduled through the end of June 14. Southwest’s waiver allows travelers to rebook a new flight within 14 days of their original ticket.

United Airlines has issued a waiver for Fort Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers for flights scheduled through June 16. The new flight must be scheduled by the end of June 23.