Related videos:
Travelers at Miami International Airport (MIA) are experiencing delays and cancellations starting this Friday and throughout the weekend due to the domino effect of a winter storm that, according to forecasts, will impact much of the United States.
Although Florida would not be among the hardest-hit areas, officials from the Miami-Dade Aviation Department warned that the impact will mainly be felt on arriving and departing flights connected to cities within the corridor affected by snow, sleet, and freezing rain, according to a report by Miami Herald.
Until noon on Friday, the communications director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, Greg Chin, reported that nine arrivals and eight departures were experiencing delays on routes related to cities affected by the storm, and that three departures to Dallas and one to Memphis had been canceled.
In total, MIA had accumulated 57 delays and 11 cancellations by that hour, while Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) reported 49 delays and 2 cancellations, according to the flight tracker FlightAware cited in the same report.
The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted a "large" winter system that would bring heavy snowfall, sleet, and freezing rain to "hundreds of millions" of people, impacting more than half of the country, including areas of the southern Rocky Mountains, the Northeast, and the Mid-Atlantic; over the weekend, the effects would extend to the Carolinas and northern Georgia.
Although Florida would be "saved" from a direct hit, the state's airports could feel the consequences from disruptions in other regions and the rescheduling of routes.
Chin asked passengers to check the flight status directly with the airline before heading to the airport, to arrive early if traveling this weekend, and to follow the airline's instructions for rescheduling and handling luggage in case of changes.
It was also noted that the major airlines had issued travel alerts and that MIA was collaborating with airlines and federal partners to support potentially affected travelers.
The report notes that passengers can track the status of flights using online tools (arrival/departure boards and flight or route trackers), as well as directly consulting with the airline—including its mobile app—for real-time updates.
The storm, according to the cited forecast, began this Friday and could last at least until Monday, so the number of delays and cancellations at MIA could vary depending on closures, ice, or operational limitations at airports in the central and eastern parts of the country, even if South Florida does not experience severe winter conditions.
Filed under: