‘It was crazy’: Significant flight disruptions frustrate passengers

CHARLOTTE — Travelers are still experiencing issues after severe weather caused flight disruptions at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The issues began Wednesday night, causing the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a ground delay, which was later lifted.

At one point, around 750 flights were delayed, and more than 70 were canceled.

As of Thursday morning, 193 flights have been delayed and 45 have been canceled, according to reports from FlightAware.

The airport posted on X that the storms will have impacts into Thursday. Airport officials said the roads going into and out of the airport were going to be crowded.

>>Check your flight status here.

‘Not acceptable’

Wednesday night, Channel 9′s Glenn Counts observed large crowds in the terminals and gates and spoke with passengers.

Everywhere you looked it’s one line after another.

“Well, it’s her birthday week and so we’re going up to see her family near Albany, New York,” said passenger Shawn McQuaige.

She and Jody Richardson should have been in the air when Counts talked to them.

“It’s been a little scary because we keep getting alerts every few minutes about a delay for our flight,” she said. “It would let us know if it was one minute but now we’re three hours.”

Alicia Jointer and her husband were returning from Punta Canta and headed to Baltimore but that flight was canceled.

“That’s not acceptable,” Jointer said. “I am five months pregnant. I’m not sleeping on an airport seat.”

Passenger Ross Nicastri and his son were flying home.

“So we’re headed back home to Sydney and were going to miss our flight out of Dallas because this flight is going to get in after the Dallas flight leaves,” he said.

Thursday morning, Channel 9′s Eli Brand spoke with passengers who were frustrated after being stuck in the airport overnight.

“It was crazy. It wasn’t disruptive at all, but everybody was just on the verge of losing it,” passenger Eric Froysland said.

VIDEO: Plane returns safely to Charlotte airport after ‘maintenance issue’

Plane returns safely to Charlotte airport after ‘maintenance issue’

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