Orlando International Airport sees flight delays, cancellations after storms Friday

ORLANDO, Fla. — Severe weather and high winds Friday afternoon impacted hundreds of flights and caused a ground stop for all aircraft at Orlando International Airport.

Those the storms have now passed, travelers said some airlines were still working to reschedule their flights Saturday.

WFTV reporter Johny Fernandez spoke with some passengers who said they're without a new flight until Monday.

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Those passengers said they had no other choice and they're limited to what they can do.

During the peak of delays, the lines stretched around the ticket counters as travelers rebooked their flights.

The weather caused hundreds of flights to be detoured, canceled or re-routed.

Passengers Sandra Esser said she failed to get to Orlando on Friday and was unable to spend time with family before heading out on a cruise with them.

“My flight was delayed for 10 hours,“ Esser said. “So I spent the entire day at the Fort Lauderdale airport.

Other travelers who spoke to WETV News said the earliest they could possibly get home between Saturday and Monday.

On Friday, Southwest seemed to have the most cancellations because the company flies far more planes than any other airline, with a quarter of all air traffic at OIA.

Airlines were still working Saturday to get flights organized as passengers wait to get to their destination.

“Good luck to the people getting home,” Esser said. “I know the airlines is doing everything they can in their power to ensure, but safety first.”

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