Local

Severe weather leaves many stranded at Jacksonville International Airport

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Severe overnight weather across Florida forced several planes from different airlines, and their passengers, to spend hours stranded at Jacksonville International Airport Sunday night. Many slept in the seating area in front of the security checkpoint.

Action News Jax learned hundreds of passengers spent the night in the River City, rather than their destinations in Tampa and Orlando due to the weather. Some passengers say they spent more than eight hours at JIA, including several hours on the tarmac in their plane due to a gate shortage at the time of their landing.

“It was frustrating and tiring, and people wondering what’s going on,” passenger Lisa Smithers said waiting for her make-up flight to Tampa out of Jacksonville.

A JIA spokesperson says around 23 planes, and hundreds of passengers were diverted at some point to Jacksonville, but not all stayed overnight. Action News Jax was told some people were bused to Orlando.

Passengers Action News Jax spoke with say they were set to take flights to Tampa and Orlando between 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Monday from JIA.

Action News Jax reached out Delta Airlines to learn more about the passengers and flights that were impacted for them, and we are still waiting on a response.