FAA control center closure causes delayed, canceled flights

A Federal Aviation Administration air-traffic control center in Jacksonville suddenly closed for cleaning on Monday after an employee tested positive for COVID19, causing flight delays and cancellations that rippled through airports in South Florida and across the state.

Flights were delayed and canceled at most Florida airports, including the three major airports in South Florida and in Tampa and Fort Myers.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s website showed 60 delayed and four canceled flights. Palm Beach International Airport reported showed five flights were canceled and another eight were delayed.

Miami International Airport’s website showed six canceled flights.

The FAA’s large radar center in Jacksonville handles air traffic over parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida, plus North and South Carolina.

Every facility has a contingency plan for temporary closures that was put in place before the coronavirus pandemic, said Ian Gregor, an FAA spokesman. COVID cleanings are usually scheduled overnight, and sometimes employees can work from a designated backup facility, he said.

It’s unclear why that was not what happened Monday.

While the center was closed for cleaning between 4:20 p.m. and 6 p.m., flights were rerouted around the airspace or were handled by an underlying facility.

The closure was causing “widespread delays that will last through tonight and into tomorrow,” Emily Nipps, spokeswoman for Tampa International Airport, told the Tampa Bay Times.

Travelers should check with their airlines for information on specific flights, officials said.