Florida airports to stop commercial operations as Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida

  • Oct, Mon, 2024

BRENT PINHEIRO
Producer
brent.pinheiro@guardian.co.tt

Local carrier Caribbean Airlines is one of several airlines to cancel flights into Florida as Hurricane Milton heads towards the state.

According to flight tracking website FlightAware, some 200 flights already have been cancelled at Orlando International.

Caribbean Airlines’ Wednesday flights to/from Orlando have been cancelled because of the storm. BW 482 from Port of Spain to Orlando and the return flight, BW 485 from Orlando to Trinidad, will no longer operate. The airline says affected passengers can rebook without change fees, once they meet certain criteria. Passengers must rebook through the airline’s call centre or at a Caribbean Airlines ticket office.

American Airlines also is allowing its passengers flying to airports in Florida, including Miami International, to change their travel plans. The airline says changes must be booked by October 10, 2024, and travel must be completed within one year of the original ticket date, though a difference in fare may apply.

Several airports in Florida will stop commercial operations in the next 24-48 hours.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Tampa International Airport (TPA) announced that it will suspend flight operations at 9am on Tuesday morning.

Similarly, Orlando International Airport (MCO) announced its decision to cease commercial operations on Wednesday. However, the airport operator, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), stressed that it will remain open to accept emergency/aid and relief flights.

Both Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) remain open, with both airport operators saying that they are monitoring the storm.

Milton, a dangerous Category 5 storm, is expected to make landfall as early as Wednesday night, bringing with it high winds, torrential downpours and catastrophic storm surge.

The impending storm has triggered a massive evacuation effort—the largest evacuation order since 2017, when Hurricane Irma hit the state.

The post Florida airports to stop commercial operations as Hurricane Milton takes aim at Florida first appeared on CNC3.