Charlotte airport delays and cancellations rising as Debby edges closer to NC
As Tropical Storm Debby threatens the Carolinas with flooding this week, it’s continuing to spoil travel plans for passengers at Charlotte’s airport.
Airlines at Charlotte Douglas International Airport could see problems throughout the week. On Wednesday, there were 479 flights delayed and 36 were canceled at CLT, according to FlightAware, an online website providing real-time information. That’s a combined 515 flight disruptions.
Early Thursday also started with a spate of problems, including 34 delays and nine cancellations by 7 a.m.
And while passengers stuck in Charlotte still have plenty of hotel options, some sites were already booking up fast or were full by Wednesday afternoon. At the airport itself Wednesday afternoon, passengers stood in a security checkpoint line that spanned more than 500 feet.
Over the weekend, Charlotte Douglas had a total of 1,651 canceled or delayed. Since the weekend and through Thursday morning at 7, there were 3,391 delayed or canceled flights.
Debby made landfall in Steinhatchee, Florida, around 7 a.m. Monday, bringing several feet of storm surge. It brought 80 mph sustained winds to the state’s Big Bend region, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
At 11 pm. Wednesday, the storm was about 65 miles south-southwest of Myrtle Beach and moving to the northeast at about 3 mph
Forecasters said Debby is expected to bring three times more rain to Charlotte than originally predicted. National Weather Service maps are showing 6 to 8 inches through Friday.
President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for North Carolina after Gov. Roy Cooper made a request for it, White House officials announced.
It will provide federal funds including reimbursement for evacuation and shelter support for about half of the state’s counties along Debby’s projected track, The News & Observer reported. Those range from Brunswick County in the southeastern corner to Moore County, then as far to the northwest as Guilford County.
American Airlines monitoring Debby in the Carolinas
Due to storm conditions, American Airlines previously canceled Florida operations at several airports. Normal operations have resumed in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Key West, Orlando, Sarasota, Tallahassee and Tampa.
On Tuesday, American monitored operations at airports in the Carolinas and Georgia, Harper said. This includes Charleston, Columbia, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Wilmington and Savannah, Georgia.
American Airlines accounts for about 87% of all flights out of CLT. Officials are continuing to monitor the track of the storm, according to spokeswoman Bri Harper.
The company issued a travel alert for customers whose travel plans are affected to rebook without change fees. Customers can reschedule their travel on aa.com or by contacting reservations at 800-433-7300 in the United States or Canada.
Airport officials are advising passengers to check the status of their flights before coming to Charlotte Douglas.
Like American Airlines, Charlotte Douglas is monitoring the weather and is communicating with airlines to stay prepared and to assist as needed, CLT said.
The airport was unable to provide an estimate of how many stranded passengers stayed overnight because of the storm. During weather events, Charlotte Douglas does not close even when airlines choose not to fly.
Passenger agitation at CLT
Tropical Storm Debby is continuing to frustrate passengers at Charlotte’s airport — one of the busiest in the world.
Customers took to social media to complain about their experiences this week.
One user on X (formerly known as Twitter) wrote Tuesday night: At “(Charlotte Douglas International Airport) our plane arrives early and we are delayed even later! Sad when (an American Airlines) flight attendant even told us this is the home of delayed flights. That says it all folks.”
Another X user said “(CLT) please get it together! This is chaos!”
On Wednesday, another X user said, “(CLT) Parking is terrible. If your flight cancels and you prepay parking, they won’t refund you. Or if there’s a hurricane and you need to come back early you can’t get modify your dates. We can’t control weather. Find a new system…it’s overpriced too!!”
Hotel stays near the airport
Among the 10 hotels The Charlotte Observer called Wednesday afternoon, one was already sold out and another was seeing brisk bookings.
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Charlotte Airport at 2600 Yorkmont Road is fully booked for Wednesday night, the company’s website showed by 12:45 p.m.. An employee answering the phone confirmed the hotel has no vacancies, and said they are accommodating flight crews with layovers because of the storms.
Over at Comfort Suites Airport at 3425 Mulberry Church Road rooms are still available. The lowest rate tonight starts at $161 for a suite with one king bed, according to the company website.
However, the hotel has been fielding more reservations because of the weather causing flight delays and cancellations, Yash Trivedi, general manager for Comfort Suites Airport said Wednesday afternoon.
“We are expecting to see more bookings,” he said. “It’s always last minute.”
Observer reporter Cooper Metts contributed to this report
This story was originally published August 7, 2024 at 12:04 PM.
