https://cbs12.com/news/local/pbia-experiencing-extensive-flight-delays-cancellationsWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Palm Beach International Airport is experiencing "extensive" delays and cancellations due to the temporary closure of the FAA JAX Center in Hilliard.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A day after someone at the Jacksonville Air Traffic Control Center in Hilliard tested positive for COVID-19, News4Jax learned the center closed Monday evening for cleaning.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the center will be closed from 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. Aircraft will be routed around the airspace or handled by underlying facilities while the cleaning takes place.
A tweet from Jacksonville International Airport says the closure “may cause extensive delays and/or cancellations. Travelers should check with their airlines.”
News4Jax aviation expert Ed Booth called the closure “totally unprecedented.”
“It has been open for 80 years now,” Booth said. “And as far as I can tell, and I’ve been flying around here for 43 years, it has not closed in those 80 years. So this is a historic event.”
A spokesperson for the FAA said the Hilliard facility covers flights from the panhandle to Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa. It also covers flights in Southeast Georgia and parts of South Carolina.
