TAMPA, Fla. — More people are expected to fly to Florida this year.
Airline representatives told the Federal Aviation Administration that the number of flights in Florida will exceed 2019 levels during a two-day meeting this week.
To ease delays and cancellations from the growing demand, the FAA stated it will add more air traffic controllers and act on other measures.
"Adding controllers will definitely help handle the workload," Mark Weinkrantz, aviation expert said. “Any controller can only deal with so many airplanes at any given time.”
On top of staffing, the FAA said it will also develop a playbook to keep planes moving safely when weather, space launches or other events constrain capacity. Airlines are also reportedly able to use alternate routes and altitudes when possible.
The FAA said it will "immediately" increase the number of staff only in Jacksonville for now. The agency will evaluate other Florida facilities.
The amount of air traffic controllers to be added is still unknown, but Weinkrantz said any amount helps given Jacksonville is a major flight hub in the state.
“They have a lot of congestion on a good day, throw in some weather there and block some of the air routes, and it becomes an incredible nightmare," Weinkrantz said.
The flight disruptions don't just impact Floridians, but those globally as well. Weinkrantz said insufficient staffing can lead to "metering", which is when aircrafts must stay at the airports until traffic in the skies clears.
The FAA found that services to Florida airports are up since 2019 by more than 100%.
In Tampa, it's up by 107%, Miami by 113%, and West Palm Beach by 132%.
Last year, Florida recorded the highest number of domestic visitors in its history, according to the governor's office. The state reported 118 million visitors.
In a statement, TPA said it supports anything the FAA can do to minimize disruptions to flight schedules and make travel more efficient and reliable for passengers.
Here's the full statement from the FAA:
The FAA had a productive meeting with around a dozen airlines, general aviation representatives and associations to find solutions to meet the growing demand in Florida. Participants said demand will continue to increase past 2019 levels.
In the short-term, the FAA will share information more frequently about airspace events. The agency will also work with stakeholders to develop a playbook to keep aircraft moving safely when weather, space launches or other events constrain capacity. The FAA will increase the ability for airlines to keep aircraft moving during these events by using alternate routes and altitudes when possible.
During the meeting, the FAA asked the users to share anticipated growth at destinations across the country so the agency can prepare to match demand. Because representatives said Florida operations will continue increasing past 2019 levels, the FAA will immediately increase the number of authorized staff at Jacksonville Center and evaluate other Florida facilities.
The agency will continue meeting with all users of the Florida airspace throughout the summer to continually improve the operational efficiency of the system.