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The Strangest Reason A Flight Has Been Delayed? How About An Armadillo

Author Melanie Day
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FL - MAY 05: An armadillo is seen around the golf course during a practice round prior to the start of THE PLAYERS Championship held at THE PLAYERS Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass on May 5, 2010 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

What’s the strangest reason you’ve had a flight get delayed? Not weather, not even staff shortages, I’m talking just bizarre situations. I’ll never forget being 16 and heading to the Bahamas for spring break. We only got to be there for a few quick days (thanks to competitive dance life) and I couldn’t get there fast enough. After taking off late due to having to restock ice before departure and then delays on the runway, we finally touched down in Nassau. A few minutes later the pilot comes over the speaker and lets us know that there is a bee hive at the gate we were supposed to use. So we have to wait for another gate to open up. A beehive. In typical teenager fashion, I was irritated, to say the least.

Then another gate opened up. In which the pilot missed the gate. Yes, apparently that is possible. We had to wait for some sort of apparatus to come to push the plane to where we could deboard. I was there and I don’t believe it. And while ice, bees, and missing the gate are one heck of a story and an uncommon occurrence, this story out of Florida is just as crazy. Of course, it’s Florida. It’s always Florida.

An Armadillo Delays Dozens Of Flights

According to a Tampa news station WFLA,  there were dozens of flights delayed at Orlando International Airport (MCO) Wednesday morning. This was after an armadillo was found deceased on one of the airport’s runways. I just recently learned armadillos are in North Carolina, and today learned that they are in Florida. WFLA reports that officials with Southwest Airlines spotted the animal and upon first glance believed it to be a type of bird. A closer examination revealed it was an armadillo which was confirmed by the FAA. Officers with the Florida Airfield Ops Wildlife Division came to clean up the scene. According to WFLA, 43 flights were delayed about an hour while the incident was taking place.

While I certainly wasn’t expecting a beehive to delay my arrival in Nassau years ago, I think I’d be even more perplexed if an armadillo was responsible for my flight delay. Can you top this? What’s the strangest reason you have had a flight delayed?

Read the full story from WFLA here.

Charlotte Douglas Named One Of Top Performing Airports In The World

Charlotte we’ve got a good thing going here. Despite all of the negative publicity for air travel in the last few years and especially the last few weeks, Charlotte Douglas was named one of the top 10 performing airports in the world. Yes the world, not the country. That’s huge! The list was compiled by Cirium.com who ranked the Most On-Time Airlines and Airports of 2022. According to their website, Cirium brings together powerful data and analytics to keep the world moving. They deliver insight, built from decades of experience in the sector, enabling travel companies, aircraft manufacturers, airports, airlines, and financial institutions, among others, to make logical and informed decisions that shape the future of travel, growing revenues and enhancing customer experiences.

The airlines and airports were ranked based on the most on-time flights based on a percentage of the total flights. The top airlines in the US were Delta, United, Alaska Airlines, and American Airlines in that order. Despite their massive PR issue during the holidays, Southwest was 5th on the list. This data was released on January 3, 2023. Interestingly, of the top 10 airports in the world, CLT was one of 6 from the US. Keep reading to see where Charlotte Douglas ranked amongst the top airports globally. Additionally, you can read the full Cirium study here.

Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.

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