Thousands of Boy Scouts stranded at Charlotte airport, parents say

This browser does not support the video element.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands of Boy Scouts were stranded at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport Friday night, parents said.

The Boy Scouts were headed home from the World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia.

Channel 9 learned that the airport and American Airlines knew ahead of time and prepared for all the Scouts, but severe weather caused extra delays and cancellations.

Some Scouts who came from Serbia said they had been at the airport since 6 p.m. Friday.

There were so many Boy Scouts they couldn't all fit in the check-in area, so the airport staged them outside.

"We didn't have a place to stay, and we decided to sleep here at the airport with our fellow Scouts from all over the world," a Scout said.

An American Airlines spokesperson said they gave water and pizza to Scouts who were waiting outside and in the lobby.

"We held more than 70 percent of our flights to accommodate hundreds of passengers in case of delays that were caused by check-in and/or processing through security," American Airlines said in a statement.