More than 30 flights have been affected by diversions, delays or cancellation due to severe weather in Florida.
One of these was a British Airways flight from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Miami International Airport (MIA) in Florida on June 19, 2023.
Flight BA 207 had to divert to Orlando International Airport (MCO) due to weather conditions in Miami. There, the aircraft, including its passengers, were stuck in the airport’s tarmac for over seven hours.
By way of comparison, the flight time from London to Miami is 9 hours and 25 minutes.
Officials from the Greater Orlando International Airport Authority told Fox35 that there were issues getting the passengers to a gate that could accommodate the double-deck international flight. Two gates were required in order to get passengers through customs.
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) only allows international flights to sit on any US airport tarmac for a maximum of four hours. Severe weather, however, is an exception.
The flight eventually flew to MIA airport, this time under flight number BA 9063. It left MCO Airport at 00:13, and arrived at 00:48.
One of the passengers stuck on the plane told Fox35 that it felt like they were “held hostage”.
Florida battered by severe weather
Meanwhile, various regions across the state of Florida have endured tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.
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Tropical depression in the area has resulted in heavy rain and potential flooding through the third week of June 2023, especially across portions of South Florida where people have been told to brace themselves for dangerous weather.
