Some of those stuck at RSW won’t return home until next week, due to weekend storms

On Sunday, WINK News first alerted you to the delays and cancellations of flights that storms were causing at RSW and other airports across the state.

Now, we’re learning that some of the thousands of people stranded at Southwest Florida International Airport might not be able to leave until next week.

At last check, only 50% of flights were taking off on time and this nightmare has created frustration for many.

There is good news and bad news: the good news is that you can see on the board that quite a few of the flights are on time. The bad news is that there are not enough seats to handle the thousands of people who got stuck on Sunday because of the storms.

Deidre Thomas was supposed to be back home in Indianapolis by now. She doesn’t want to spend another day in Southwest Florida but storms on Sunday night forced Spirit Airlines to cancel her flight home.

The next available flight home is a week from Tuesday.

“I went ‘next Tuesday?’ He said ‘yeah and I said I can’t wait until next Tuesday, I need to be home today,'” Thomas said. “I was supposed to have my coronavirus shot tomorrow, the first one in Indianapolis and plus I work. So I have to call work now and tell them I don’t know when I’m getting home.”

Thomas is one of those thousands of people who stood in these lines hoping to get on a  plane out of here. The airlines ended up canceling 137 flights.

Richard Squire says while he’s hopeful, he won’t bet money that he’s leaving on Monday.

“There’s no guarantee, I’m booked for tomorrow, but I’m on stand-by for today. So I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Squire said.

Squire says he and his wife take turns standing in line, waiting for the good news that there will be seats available for them.

“Everybody feels the same way, everybody is very upset,” said Squire.

“It’s crazy, absolutely crazy,” Thomas said.

People who say airlines can’t help them for days are considering other ways to get back home such as renting cars or RVs.