JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville International Airport continues to deal with the aftermath of a fire that broke out in the Hourly Garage.
The airport has shared photos from inside the garage, showing the extent of the damage.
The Hourly Garage remains closed. Officials have established a collapse zone. At this time only authorized personnel are able to access the garage. All other individuals are prohibited from entering this area to ensure their safety. Crews are working to establish safe areas of… pic.twitter.com/TX9xi8pgCo
— JAXairport (@JAXairport) May 18, 2025
Airport officials said they are working to establish safe areas within the garage where vehicles can be removed.
The fire closed several parts of the airport including the commercial lane that runs alongside the garage. The adjustment forced airport shuttles to move their pickup spots into the north end of the terminal with temporary signs marking the spots.
Airport officials said they anticipate that certain sections will be deemed safe and cleared later this week.
With the busy Memorial Day weekend approaching, much of the on-site parking is expected to remain unavailable. Travelers are being asked to explore alternative parking options.
As of Sunday, the only open parking option for new drivers to enter was the economy lot. Several signs along the drive into the airport are directing travelers to off-site parking alternatives.
Shymaan Haider, owner of Park EZ Fly & Ride, an off-site parking facility located on the way to the airport, said he has already seen more people looking at other parking options.
“It has been pretty busy,” he said. “Parking lot is pretty full and we’re actually having to turn off some people from coming because the lot is starting to overflow.”
Kirk Scovill, who recently returned to Jacksonville, has already made arrangements for off-site parking at WallyPark for his upcoming trip.
However, he faced the immediate challenge of retrieving his vehicle, which remains stuck in the closed garage.
“Our goal was to kind of get a feel for where all the damage was,” Scovill said. “It looks like we might be unscathed.”
Scovill said he just got back from a conference in Las Vegas. He left on Thursday with his car parked in the hourly garage.
Uncertain about when he would regain access to his car, Scovill planned to use a rideshare service.
“We knew we probably had to schedule an Uber like everyone else in the city was probably going to have to, so we tried to beat them to the punch,” he explained.
On-airport parking is extremely limited. If you have a flight, please consider alternative means of transportation to the terminal (Uber/Lyft/Taxi), off-airport parking facilities or being picked up/dropped off for your flight.
— JAXairport (@JAXairport) May 17, 2025
Airport officials are encouraging travelers to consider rideshare options, such as Uber or Lyft, or to arrange rides with friends and family.
While this may require a slight adjustment to travel plans, Scovill expressed a positive outlook.
“Our thought was we’ll deal with it when it comes,” he said.
Travelers can find information on the status of the on-site lots at www.flyjacksonville.com.
