This year, passengers had to contend with record travel and Mother Nature.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Millions of Floridians traveled for Independence Day weekend, and on Sunday, many of them returned home to start the week.
Beryl causing problems at some southern airports, News from the First Coast is on your side to ask passengers how their trip was impacted.
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According to AAA, more than 5 million people flew for the July 4 weekend, an increase of nearly 7% over last year.
“I came from Chattanooga, it was a really good flight, it wasn’t too crowded but getting off the plane was a little difficult,” said Alexis Tiecamp, who flew into Jacksonville International Airport for a cruise.
This year, passengers had to contend with record travel and Mother Nature.
Thunderstorms triggered by Beryl’s arrival grounded George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Saturday, according to a message from airport officials. On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration warned that gates could be blocked for up to an hour.
“We were expecting a lot more traffic, especially with the hurricane, we saw a lot of issues like delays,” said Chris Garris and Mark Fowler.
At JAX, as of 1:30 p.m., there were 16 delays in total, according to flight tracking site FlightAware..
However, the airport’s travel desk said most arrivals were either on time or arrived early, and some passengers said flights were still pleasant even with the busy weekend.
“It was really crowded, but the flight attendant was really nice to be around and they loved my dog, so they gave him room,” said Kimberly Carter, who had a stopover at JAX.
JAX officials remind passengers to check with their airline for any cancellations or delays.
