Flight operations at Miami International Airport were significantly disrupted on Saturday, Jan. 3 following U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Sebastian Font, UM student and sports editor of The Hurricane, was there. He was supposed to fly out of LaGuardia Airport and land at MIA at 5:09 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, but instead arrived at 8:37 PM — more than two hours later.
“The whole thing was a mess, the attendants didn’t know whether it was weather or the situation in Venezuela at first,” Font said.
After landing, he waited at the baggage claim carousel for nearly two hours.
“The worst part was the scene in Miami — bags everywhere, people screaming. I waited for more than two hours and only got half of my bags before I gave up and went home.”
Font is unsure how he plans to recover the rest of his luggage and will be filing claims.
Madison Mutzman, a UM alumni, also had a similar experience at MIA, citing widespread confusion and lack of communication at baggage claim. She said carousel screens repeatedly displayed incorrect information.
“We were told our bags were on Carousel 22, then 26,” Mutzman said. “They ultimately showed up at 21 after 2.5 hours. The only way we found out was because a passenger mentioned that he found his bag there.”
As of Saturday evening, 451 flights at MIA were delayed, both within the U.S. and internationally, and 107 flights were canceled according to FlightAware. American Airlines confirmed around 8:30 a.m. that the disruptions come amid heightened airspace restrictions in the area.
“Due to restricted airspace near Venezuela and parts of the Caribbean, some flights at MIA are being affected,” MIA said in a statement at 10:54 a.m. on Saturday. “Please check your flight status with your airline before heading to MIA. We thank you for your patience and understanding.”
The Hurricane also spoke with Miami-Dade Aviation Department Communications Director Greg Chin. According to Chin, the regional airspace restrictions created widespread delays in baggage delivery and congestion as passengers were rebooked.
“MIA is actively supporting its airlines and federal partners to assist travelers and return to normal operations,” he said. “Passengers are strongly encouraged to: check their flight status directly with their airline before coming to MIA, allow extra time if traveling today and follow airline guidance for rebooking and baggage.”