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Thunderstorms delay flights at Palm Beach International Airport

Travelers seek alternatives as delays turn to cancellations
Posted at 4:04 PM, Apr 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-04-03 09:05:30-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Strong storms blowing through the Sunshine State on Saturday were causing a damper on some people's travel plans.

This as many found themselves waiting hours at Palm Beach International Airport as flights were delayed or canceled due to the weather.

"All day long we've been watching the app and it's been saying on time, you know, delayed by three hours, now on time, delayed by two hours, back and forth, back and forth," said Adam Keirns, whose flight was delayed to Ohio.

Keirns is traveling with his family of eight and they're considering extending their spring break vacation.

"I was like, we should go to Disney for a couple days if we're gonna sit here," said Alissa Keirns, Adam Keirns' daughter.

"We actually checked if we could get tickets to Disney and they're all booked up, so then we looked at Universal and they're not booked up, so we contemplated doing that for a couple of days," said Adam Keirns.

Severe weather often keeps planes grounded because a wet tarmac makes it slippery for planes taking off and landing.

Turbulence and lightning poses its own dangers.

"This whole week we've been having weather delays," said Christian Ladono, a ramp agent at the airport. "I see this a lot."

At 5 p.m. Saturday, there were only seven flights that hadn't been canceled or delayed, but that's subject to change as storms were expected through the weekend.

"They want to go home, you know, go see their loved ones, play games, whatever they do, you know," said Ladono.