Flights canceled, delayed at Jacksonville airport as ice storm impacts travel to New York

Flights out of Jacksonville International Airport were impacted as an ice storm moved toward the Northeast, causing multiple cancellations and delays for travelers trying to head north just days after the holidays.

Airport officials said 38 flights were delayed and 24 flights were canceled at JIA due to the weather, with several of those flights headed to New York.

Passengers stranded at the airport described the situation as frustrating and uncertain.

“We are stranded now,” said traveler Phat Truong.

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Truong said he and his family had just returned from a cruise when they learned their flight back to New York City had been canceled.

“We came from a cruise, but the only flight back to New York City from here is at 6:30 so since it is snowing over there. They gave us a cancellation notice,” Truong said.

Departure boards inside the airport showed multiple canceled flights, including trips to New York and Boston.

While some travelers were dealing with cancellations, others faced extended delays.

Traveler Scott Troehler, who was trying to return home to Cincinnati, said the problems started almost immediately.

“As soon as we got here, it started being delayed,” Troehler said.

Troehler said weather conditions were clearly affecting travel plans.

“Well, I know there’s a nice storm going on, but other than that, we’re heading to Cincinnati. It just seems like everything’s delayed,” he said.

Despite the inconvenience, Troehler said he was staying patient during the busy holiday travel period.

“Put a kink in the arm here, but it’s the holiday, so we’re gonna get through it,” he said.

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For Truong’s family, the issues went beyond delays.

Truong said JetBlue told them there were no other flights available out of Jacksonville until Monday, forcing them to consider traveling to another city to get home.

“We have to go to Atlanta to catch the next flight because there’s no flight until Monday in Jacksonville,” Truong said.

But even leaving Jacksonville has proven difficult.

“We can even get a car rental back to Atlanta to catch a flight because it’s totally booked out,” Truong said.

Rental cars at the airport were fully booked, and the family said taking an Uber from Jacksonville to Atlanta would be too expensive. More than four hours later, they were still waiting at the airport, unsure of how they would make it home.

Airport officials warned that additional delays and cancellations are possible overnight and urged passengers to check directly with their airline for the latest flight updates and rebooking options.

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