Travel headaches continued Monday at South Florida airports as powerful storms swept across the eastern half of the country and a partial government shutdown affecting airport security screeners dragged into a second month.
Long lines were seen at Miami and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood international airports as FlightAware reported more than 3,500 flights scheduled to fly into, out of or within the U.S. were canceled Monday and about 6,300 others were delayed.
“MIA is expecting an increase in passengers this week due to the Spring Break travel season,” a Miami International Airport spokesperson said in a statement. “Additionally, strong thunderstorms across the East Coast have delayed and cancelled dozens of flights at MIA, and passengers are rebooking on other flights this week.”
A partial government shutdown led to long wait times at MIA and FLL. NBC6’s Julia Bagg reports.
The disruptions come at an already challenging time for air travel, in part because the shutdown that began Feb. 14 has strained staffing at some security checkpoints.
At the same time, airports are crowded with spring break travelers and fans heading to March Madness games, the annual NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball tournaments.
Flight delays and cancellations piled up Monday at some of the nation’s largest airports, including those in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.
The storm system that dropped snow by the foot in the Midwest was barreling toward the East Coast with dangerously high winds and the potential for “producing strong and long track tornadoes,” the National Weather Service warned Monday.
The storms are also unfolding just as airport security screeners missed their first full paycheck over the weekend. The current partial government shutdown affects only the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the Transportation Security Administration.
It is the third shutdown in less than a year to leave TSA workers temporarily without pay. Once the government reopens, employees will have to wait for back pay.