South Florida

Six new things to know if you fly in and out of South Florida airports

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

The following articles on South Florida airports focus on changes at the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports.

One article discusses how travelers at MIA easily adjusted to the new REAL ID requirement, experiencing minimal delays or long lines as passengers adapted by using their passports instead. Another article reports on MIA’s $9 billion infrastructure improvements, including terminal redesigns and expanded passenger services to handle increasing traveler numbers. Meanwhile, JetBlue ends service at MIA to reallocate resources to more profitable routes but maintains a strong presence at FLL. Additionally, Spirit Airlines enhances passenger comfort by adding a premium section with more legroom and launches new routes from FLL to Key West.

See the collection of recent coverage below.

Passengers go through a checkpoint at Miami International Airport as the Transportation Security Administration started enforcing REAL ID for travel on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. By Pedro Portal

NO. 1: TRAVELERS AT MIAMI AIRPORT NOW DEALING WITH NEW REAL ID REQUIREMENT

What to know about the security check before you board a flight. | Published May 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha

Employees attend the opening of Spirit Airlines new campus outside the support center on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at Dania Pointe in Dania Beach. By Alie Skowronski

NO. 2: SPIRIT AIRLINES JUST ADDED SEVERAL NEW ‘COMFY’ BENEFITS FOR TRAVELERS

See what's coming. | Published May 13, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha

JetBlue planes wait at the gate at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in 2020. By Mark Konezny

NO. 3: JETBLUE IS PULLING OUT OF THE MIAMI AIRPORT, BUT WILL REMAIN AT FLL. SEE DETAILS

The decision involves freeing aircraft for other routes, the airline says. | Published June 21, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha

Brazilian Carnival dancers Lais Lope, left, and Oscar Barrera, right, dance along with Ambassador André Odenbreit Carvalho, center, during the Gol’s new flight ceremony connecting Miami to Belem, Brazil, on Thursday, June 26, 2025, at Miami International Airport. By Carl Juste

NO. 4: NEW FLIGHTS TAKE OFF BETWEEN MIAMI AND BRAZILIAN CITY OF BELéM

Here are the details. | Published June 26, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha

A general view of a new parking garage under construction at Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. By SAM NAVARRO

NO. 5: MIAMI’S AIRPORT IS UNDERGOING A $9 BILLION MAKEOVER. HERE ARE 5 TAKEAWAYS

What to know about the improvements. | Published July 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Miami Herald Archives, with AI summarization

A Spirit Airlines plane sits at a gate at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, waiting to make the carrier’s inaugural flight to Newark, New Jersey on June 5, 2025. By Colin Elam

NO. 6: HEADING TO KEY WEST BUT DON’T WANT TO DRIVE? SPIRIT STARTING FLL FLIGHTS

What to know about the new South Florida service. | Published July 23, 2025 | Read Full Story by Vinod Sreeharsha

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.