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Cancellations, delays cause trouble for travelers on New Year’s Day

Bad weather, sick crews blamed for travel woes

ORLANDO, Fla. – The travel troubles continued this New Year’s weekend at Orlando International Airport.

“I was nervous, especially because there’s somewhere I have to be,” Dusty Carter said.

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Carter’s flight to Denver was delayed Saturday, despite getting to the airport hours before takeoff.

“I did know it was a busy travel day for the year, but I didn’t know it was the second (busiest),” he said. “That’s crazy to know -- that’s why I expected a little of a delay.

News 6 spoke to a family that came to Orlando for the holidays, and their Spirit flight to Guatemala got canceled on Saturday, so they had no choice but to stay at the airport.

“We are bored, and we don’t have the assurance that the flight they offered will be on time, and the options they gave us were not convenient,” Daniel Camey said.

The problem isn’t just happening at OIA, but nationally. Several airlines are struggling to get crowds of people to their destinations due to bad weather and crews sick with COVID-19.

On Saturday, News 6 counted more than 250 cancellations and delays at Orlando International Airport.

Tiffiny Mallet-Daniel flew from Atlanta on Saturday, but said she double checked her flight status before arriving to Orlando.

“We checked all day to make sure our flight was on time, and it actually showed on time today, but we were concerned about having to drive down, so thankfully we got on our flight,” Mallet-Daniel said.