Travelers flying to or from Florida on the day after Christmas, especially through Tampa International Airport, may experience delays due to the implementation of a delay program by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) impacting various Florida airports.
As reported by TPA (Tampa International Airport), the FAA’s delay program has resulted in disruptions to flight schedules, affecting the timeliness of some flights.
According to data from flight tracker FlightAware, as of 10 p.m. on Tuesday, 240 flights have been delayed at Tampa International Airport. Southwest Airlines, which experienced widespread cancellations and delays across the country last year, is notably affected, with 45% of their flights at TPA experiencing delays on December 26.
Passengers, such as Linda Stevens, traveling with Southwest Airlines, noted the changing nature of flight schedules, experiencing uncertainty regarding departure times.
Despite the FAA delay program, aviation experts emphasize that weather conditions also contribute to flight delays. Mark Weinkrantz, aviation expert at 10 Tampa Bay, highlighted that adverse weather conditions restrict air traffic, narrowing the capacity for flights to operate smoothly.
“It’s now narrowed down how much traffic can flow through the sectors from a fire hose dimension down to a beverage straw,” explained Weinkrantz.
The impact of weather on air travel adds an additional layer of complexity to the ongoing challenges faced by airlines and travelers, particularly during the holiday season.
Notably, Southwest Airlines recently faced regulatory consequences for its operational issues in December 2022. The airline was ordered to pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into the mass cancellations and disruptions that left over 2 million travelers stranded during the holiday season last year. The majority of the settlement is earmarked for compensating future passengers, serving as an incentive for the airline to avoid a recurrence of the issues witnessed last winter.
