Long Lines & Short Tempers At South Florida Airports Over Temporary Ground Stop
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – There were long lines and short tempers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport as travelers spent the night dealing with flight delays.
"I came here on time," said traveler Simona Deortis. "The flight was delayed two hours, then another hour. Then we went into the plane and after half an hour they let us get off the plane again and let us wait another hour."
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a temporary ground stop was in place at three airports in the Washington, D.C. Area due to an issue at a facility in Leesburg, Virginia.
Fumes from construction work made their way into the control room and the building had to be evacuated.
The ground stop in the D.C. area then had a ripple effect at other airports including South Florida.
Frustrated travelers at FLL say they can't wait to be able to board their flight to their final destinations.
"I'm without luggage without anything and I don't know when I can go back home," said Decortis.
Monday evening, officials with FLL told CBS4 News there were 10 flight delays, while officials at MIA said six flights were diverted from their original destinations to Miami.
At 9:30 p.m., the FAA issued the following statement updating the situation:
"Air traffic controllers at Washington Center resumed operations at about 9:30 p.m. Flights that were delayed are beginning to take off, and we expect to resume normal operations in the morning."
