Jacksonville Aviation Authority warns of lines during holiday weekend

JAA: Allow extra time if flying out of Jacksonville International Airport

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Aviation Authority is urging airline passengers flying out of Jacksonville International Airport this holiday weekend to allow a minimum of two hours to find parking, check bags and navigate through security checkpoints.

JAA officials said lines may be extra long if you have a flight between 5 and 7 a.m. or 10 and 12 p.m. The long holiday weekend along with the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and several other events in the city will mean a much larger influx of passengers starting Friday and lasting through Tuesday. 

A wildfire burning along I-95 near the Nassau/Duval county line could further impact drivers traveling this holiday weekend. The interstate was already briefly shut down between north Jacksonville and Yulee Friday, causing major congestion during the morning commute. While it has since reopened, drivers are encouraged to check our interactive traffic map and pay attention to road conditions before they hit the roads.

One woman who did just that, woke up early Friday morning to head to the airport.

"We left about two hours before our flight left today. We heard that I-295 was closed and I-95 was closed and we didn’t know what flight to take," Shari Wolfs.

She said she's glad she made it to the airport with time to spare.

Troopers will continue monitoring road conditions during the wildfire to allow the safe closure of the highway again if visibility worsens.

For the most up to date information on the wildfire's impact on traffic, follow this article: 

All I-95 lanes open again as firefighters continue to battle wildfire

 


About the Authors:

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.