CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) – Preparation failed to pay off for thousands of Boy Scouts leaving a worldwide jamboree who overwhelmed Charlotte International Airport over the weekend.
Passengers reported security lines 500 deep on Friday as scouts who attended the 2019 World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia tried to return home.
The airport is about a three-hour drive from the Jamboree site and was a popular spot for those who chose to fly to the event.
The Charlotte Observer reports that Scout leaders coordinated for weeks in advance with the airport and airlines, but bad weather and high volume conspired against them.
American Airlines operates a hub out of Charlotte and reported that 70 percent of its flights were held Friday to try to accommodate passengers stuck in security lines.
