The numbers of flight delays and cancellations eased at South Florida’s international airports Wednesday as airlines appeared to adjust to federally mandated cutbacks driven by the U.S. Government shutdown.
Nationally, federal aviation officials warned that disruptions may well continue to be a fact of life for travelers all the way through the Thanksgiving holiday, even though an end to the government shutdown appears imminent.
But the in-terminal passenger congestion and flight disruptions Wednesday were nowhere near the levels experienced at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Palm Beach International and Miami International airports, according to figures provided by aviation tracking services.
As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, FlightAware reported 18 delays and 15 cancellations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, seven delays and no cancellations at Palm Beach International, and 26 delays and 20 cancellations at Miami International. Not all of the disruptions were attributable to the Federal Aviation Administration-mandated flight slowdown as bad weather continued to traverse the northern regions of the United States.
There was no immediate timeline from federal aviation authorities as to when regular schedules would resume. By Friday, the FAA planned to impose a 10% cut in flights to and from 40 major U.S. airports, up from the 4% originally imposed Friday, less than a week ago.
While airlines said they intended to operate a strong majority of their schedules despite the FAA directive, they continued to advise customers to check with apps and websites for updates on departure and arrival times, and whether a flight will take off at all.
If flights were canceled, travelers could opt for a rebooking — or a full refund if they elected to stay home.