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Journalism of Courage
This is an archive article published on October 8, 2024
Airlines cancel flights, airports close as Florida prepares for Hurricane Milton
As Hurricane Milton intensifies, moving past Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and approaching Florida’s Gulf Coast, over 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate.
Salvage crews continue to clean up household debris, damaged in Hurricane Helene, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Clearwater Beach, Fla., ahead of the possible landfall from Hurricane Milton. (AP)
Airlines in the United States are cancelling flights and adjusting schedules as Florida airports begin to close in anticipation of Hurricane Milton, which is forecast to make landfall on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 896 flights within, into, or out of the US had been delayed, while 696 were cancelled. According to flight tracking data from FlightAware, more than 1,500 flights scheduled for Wednesday have already been cancelled, with the numbers expected to rise, according to a report by Reuters.
Debris surrounds the Faraway Inn Cottages and Motel in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, in Cedar Key, Fla. (AP)
Southwest Airlines, one of the largest carriers in the US, confirmed it was adjusting its schedule at multiple airports, including Tampa International and Orlando International, both of which are halting operations.
Orlando International, one of the nation’s busiest airports, is set to suspend services at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to a notice on its website. Tampa International, meanwhile, closed on Tuesday.
Among the airlines most likely to be affected by the hurricane are Allegiant Air, Sun Country Airlines, and JetBlue Airways. According to Raymond James analysts, the combined impact of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, which recently hit Florida, could suppress travel demand.
Allegiant and JetBlue have already cancelled 41 and 92 flights respectively on Tuesday, while Sun Country told Reuters it had cancelled 19 passenger flights.
Teams work to clean up piles of debris from Hurricane Helene flooding ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Milton, in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island, Fla. (AP)
As Hurricane Milton intensifies, moving past Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and approaching Florida’s Gulf Coast, over 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate.
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In response, airlines such as United Airlines, JetBlue, and Air Canada have added extra capacity to help evacuate passengers from the region.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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