WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Flight delays and cancellations continue at airports across the country, impacting more than 86,000 flights since the FAA imposed air traffic restrictions on Friday.
At Palm Beach International Airport, travelers are still feeling the effects. While operations appeared calmer Tuesday, many passengers described frustration over limited communication from airlines.
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“They cancelled our flight- basically PBI was closed at 11:30, and we sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes,” said traveler Nick Vannice, whose Delta flight to Palm Beach was canceled Monday night.
Vannice said he and other passengers were left confused after receiving little information from airline staff.
“There was no communication. We literally sat on the plane, and everybody got confused. There was no clarity,” he said, adding that the cancellation caused him to miss a day of work.
Another traveler, St. Lucie County resident Nick Kasper, described his experience as “a nightmare.”
“When we were descending, all of a sudden the captain comes on and says, ‘Guys, we’ve got bad news. West Palm Beach is closed—there’s no one in the tower, so we’re diverting you to Fort Lauderdale,’” Kasper said.
He told WPTV he and other passengers were left stranded at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport without airline representatives to help.
“This is the worst experience I’ve ever had,” he said. “I understand air traffic control is out of United’s control, but a bus- I mean, a simple bus - they could’ve done that.”
“Once we got off the plane we were totally on our own. I’ve never seen anything like it before,” he added.
Palm Beach International Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the closure. In a previous email, an airline spokesperson said “reductions in airline schedules elsewhere may impact flights scheduled to fly to PBI.”
United Airlines also did not respond to a request for comment. The FAA said airlines are required to issue full refunds for cancellations but are not obligated to provide compensation for meals or hotels.
Despite the frustrations, flight activity at PBI appeared to stabilize Tuesday, with only a handful of delays. Some travelers reported smoother experiences.
“I think things are relatively normal,” said passenger Cory Haupt, who’s visiting Palm Beach County. “It appears that the airlines have changed their schedule, so what you see is what you get, but so far, so good.”
According to FlightAware, more than 80,000 flights were delayed and over 30,000 were canceled nationwide this week.
Federal employee and traveler Renee Reynolds said she’s hopeful conditions improve soon.
“I’m just thankful that they’re willing to work at the moment and still not getting paid, and I think that’s the challenge for folks,” she said.
