As Florida braces for the impact of Hurricane Milton, airlines have canceled hundreds of flights and airports have already planned to close ahead of the storm’s landfall.
The Category 4 hurricane will be nothing short of destructive when it hits the state. It had sustained winds of 155 mph at 2 p.m. ET on Tuesday, although some weakening is expected over the next 24 hours. The National Weather Service has predicted that it will make landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast Wednesday.
Tampa International Airport, located right in the storm’s path, suspended all of its operations on Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET to prepare for the storm. Officials said the airport would not reopen to the public until after storm damage is assessed and it is safe to do so.
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Veronica Cintron, vice president of communications at Tampa International Airport, told Scripps News that safety is critical for their operations and it can not act as a shelter for travelers stuck there since it is located in an evacuation zone.
Cintron said the airport will work with any stranded travelers to get them to a safe area before the storm.
Operations at Orlando International Airport will cease at 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday, the airport said. Melbourne Orlando International Airport will close at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday but plans to reopen at 9 a.m. ET on Friday, according to its website.
Lakeland Linder International Airport announced it would close at midnight on Wednesday and would not reopen until damage assessments were completed.
All flights to St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday were already canceled. The airport said on its website it would close after the last flight departs on Tuesday.
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A little further south, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport planned to close Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET and remain closed through Thursday.
In an interview with Scripps News Morning Rush, the airport’s chief of staff, Mark Stuckey, said the airport is working hard to make sure the remaining 5,000 passengers are able to make it on their flights out of the airport on Tuesday.
Southwest Florida International Airport will also be closed through Thursday.
Airports like Daytona Beach International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport said they would continue to monitor the forecast and provide updates as the storm gets closer.
American Airlines and United Airlines added extra flights out of Florida ahead of Milton’s expected landfall on Wednesday.
The best way to find out information about a specific flight is to contact the airline directly.
