Travel nightmare at major US airports as storm grounds flights

An impending tropical storm in the Gulf has set off a chain reaction of ground stops and lengthy delays at major airports along the entire East Coast.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has extended multiple ground stops at airports in New York, Florida, and Washington DC.

More than a dozen major airports are currently stuck in ground delays which are snarling airport traffic and delaying flights by up to three hours in some cities.

New York has been the hardest hit with ground stops at John F Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport being extended until at least 5:45pm ET.

New Jersey’s Newark Liberty Airport also grounded all flights until 5pm, which the FAA said has caused delays of 201 minutes – a staggering three hours and 21 minutes.

Thunderstorms due to the developing tropical storm system are also affecting flights out of Boston Logan International Airport, Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Denver International Airport, and Virginia’s Dulles International Airport.

AccuWeather is forecasting widespread tropical downpours in Florida this week, which have already delayed or grounded flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Orlando International Airport, and Miami International Airport.

The rainfall forecasted along the entire East Coast has led to flight delays at Philadelphia International Airport, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport as well.

‘Flight to Vegas got delayed by three hours, I hate airports,’ one frustrated passenger posted on X Monday afternoon.

‘My flight is delayed by like five hours and I’m already feeling so sick… I just want today to [be] over,’ another exhausted traveler added.

Countless fellow travelers have been posting their horror stories on social media Monday as Flight Aware said that at least 7,300 flights in to and out of the US have been delayed as of 5:20pm ET.

Federal travel officials have warned that ground delays at these East Coast airports will stay in effect until at least 10pm, with several stretching overnight, including in New York and Philadelphia.

AccuWeather warned that Americans along the East Coast should expect more stormy weather for the rest of the week as a tropical rainstorm sweeps across the Florida Peninsula.

The storm is projected to make landfall Tuesday before barreling into the Gulf and bringing several inches of rain to Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana on Wednesday.

Flights out of Miami have been delayed by more than 190 minutes (three hours and 10 minutes) Monday evening. Departing flights in Fort Lauderdale are delayed for more than two hours.

‘A cold front slowly approaching the East Coast will spark showers and storms across the East on Monday. Ample moisture in place will also ramp up the risks for flooding and locally severe thunderstorms,’ the AccuWeather team added in a statement Monday morning.

The approaching storm has only led to early afternoon delays on Monday getting extended into the evening as the thunderstorms and rain move in throughout the country.

Airports like Philadelphia International Airport, which started with only a ground delay was forced to ground all flights around 5pm, with a ground stop orders until at least 5:45pm.

As of 5:30pm, more than 1,700 flights throughout the US have been cancelled. Many of them were a result of the tropical storm moving in.

The founder of flight alert service Dollar Flight Club, Jesse Neugarten, recently advised travelers to start planning their cancellation backup plans before airlines even make that frustrating announcement.

‘If the plane that’s supposed to become your flight is delayed in another city, you’ll often see the writing on the wall before the airline officially tells you,’ Neugarten told Travel + Leisure in June.

He added that flyers should start checking their airline’s app for rebooking options before they even get out of line to board the plane or return to the gate because of poor weather.

Additionally, trying to call the airline’s customer service team which handles flights in other countries, like Canada or the UK, may help you cut the hold time dramatically.

Despite handling bookings for other nations, these customer service reps may still be able to help existing customers rebook a cancelled flight.