Ground Stops at Three Florida Airports Due to Storms, Delays Reach 90 Minutes

Thunderstorms are disrupting air traffic in Florida, with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issuing ground stops for flights heading to three airports: President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).

According to the FAA's National Airspace System Status updates on November 2, the restrictions began because thunderstorms were affecting the region.

The ground stops began at approximately 5:41 p.m. GMT+2 and were initially scheduled to remain in place until 6:30 p.m., with a medium probability of extension estimated at 30% to 60%.

The restrictions apply to departures heading to the three airports from several air traffic control centers, including Washington, Jacksonville, Atlanta and Houston.

Three Airports Affected by Weather-Related Restrictions

At President Donald J. Trump International Airport (DJT), the FAA issued a ground stop from 5:41 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. GMT+2. Departures from the affected air traffic control centres were temporarily grounded because of thunderstorms.

Miami International Airport (MIA) was also placed under a ground stop, beginning at 5:42 p.m. The restriction was initially scheduled to end at 6:30 p.m. However, the airport was already reporting significant departure delays.

At 5:57 p.m. GMT+2, the FAA reported average departure delays of approximately 90 minutes at Miami, with delays continuing to increase.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) faced similar conditions. Its ground stop began at 5:41 p.m., with an initial end time of 6:30 p.m. At 5:45 p.m., average departure delays had reached 75 minutes and were also increasing.

Passengers Advised to Check Flight Status

The disruptions come as thunderstorms affect operations across South Florida, with the FAA monitoring conditions and the possibility of extending the restrictions.

Passengers traveling to or departing from DJT, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are advised to check directly with their airlines for updated departure times and possible schedule changes before traveling to the airports.

The initial ground-stop end time was 6:30 p.m. GMT+2, but the FAA had indicated a medium probability of extensions.