Shutterstock/Leonard Zhukovsky
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Staff Writer
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March 17, 2026
Flight delays are never fun, especially as Spring Break marks one of the year’s busiest travel periods. But amid a partial government shutdown and severe weather across the Eastern U.S. in addition to a high volume of travelers, major South Florida travel hubs like Miami International (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports (FLL) are having to cancel and delay flights left and right.
How many flights have been affected at MIA and FLL?
As of Tuesday, March 17, hundreds of delayed flights have been reported across our major South Florida hubs. You can see it for yourself on FlightAware.
Cancellations are almost as high, with nearly 200 cancelled flights into, out of, and within MIA and FLL combined. This is, of course, on top of last night’s ground stops and delays which expired late Monday, stranding aircraft and crews and cancelling dozens more flights.
What is causing these delays and cancellations?
According to news reports, despite the weather being fine in South Florida, a massive storm system pummeling the rest of the country as well as a partial government shutdown leaving 50,000 TSA and Customs agents without pay are impacting airports right now.
What should I do as a traveler?
Firstly, you should check your flight status directly on the airports’ websites and official apps. For MIA travelers, your flight status can be tracked here. If you have your flight number and want to search by flight or route, this other MIA tracker can be easier in helping you find the information you’re looking for.
Those flying through FTL can click here for their online flight tracker, which also works by flight or route.
You should also arrive early so that you don’t have to worry while you inevitably wait in line. The standard recommendation is to get to the airport two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international flights. Keeping these in mind with the ripple effects of canceled flights and exceptionally long TSA lines, give yourself plenty of extra time.
Best of luck and safe travels, South Florida!