Major Hurricane Ian made landfall on Wednesday afternoon in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa as an extremely powerful category 4 storm.
As the monster storm makes its way across the Florida peninsula over the next 24-36 hours, airlines and airports across the Sunshine State continue to monitor its path and adjust their operational plans accordingly.
With maximum sustained winds of 150mph at landfall, Hurricane Ian is already impacting commerce and infrastructure in a “devastating to catastrophic” way, according to the National Weather Service office in Tampa.
Of course, a storm of this size and magnitude will undoubtedly wreak havoc on air travel in the Sunshine State in the hours and days ahead.
Hurricane Ian Airport Closures
In advance of the storm, many airports throughout south and central Florida have suspended operations for the duration of Ian’s onslaught. Once it is safe to do so, officials will assess the damage and open airports only when it is safe to do so.
Gulf Coast
Tampa International Airport (TPA): Suspended operations at 1700 Tuesday. The airport will not reopen to passengers and visitors through Thursday. Some essential employees will remain on-site throughout the storm, according to the airport’s Twitter account @flytpa.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE): Suspended operations at 1300 Tuesday. PIE is in a mandatory evacuation zone and will not reopen until the evacuation order ends. The airport will provide updates via @iflypie on Twitter.
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ): Operations were suspended as of 1800 Tuesday, and the airport remains closed today. Airport officials will provide updates via @SRQAirport on Twitter.
Punta Gorda Airport (PGD): All flights have been canceled through Friday morning, 30 September. The airport will continue to provide updates via its website, flypgd.com.
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW): Operations were suspended at 2100 Tuesday evening. RSW will not reopen before Friday. Airport officials will provide updates via its Facebook page.
Key West International Airport (EYW): Airport crews are busy preparing to reopen Thursday at 0730, according to a recent update. EYW experienced flooding as Hurricane Ian continues to move away from the Keys following a glancing blow overnight. The airport will provide updates through its website, eyw.com.
Central Florida
Orlando International Airport (MCO): All operations were suspended on Wednesday morning at 1030. MCO officials say they expect flights to resume Friday, 30 September, provided it is safe to do so. Officials will provide updates via @mco on Twitter.
Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB): All operations were suspended at 1700 Tuesday. Airport officials say they will not reopen before will provide updates via @FlySanford on Facebook.
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB): Operations were suspended at 1400 Wednesday. MLB officials say they will reopen as quickly as possible once the storm passes and conditions are safe to do so. Officials will provide updates via @FlyMLB on Twitter.
Daytona Beach International Airport (DAB): Operations were suspended at 1235 Wednesday afternoon. All arrivals and departures are canceled for Wednesday and Thursday. Officials will provide updates via @FlyDAB on Twitter.
Elsewhere in Florida
As of late-afternoon Wednesday, normal operations continue at Miami International Airport (MIA), Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Palm Beach International Airport (PBI), and Jacksonville International Airport (JAX). However, all are experiencing flight delays and cancellations due to the storm.
In Broward County, an apparent tornado overnight caused damage to the North Perry Airport (HWO) near Fort Lauderdale. Footage from the airfield on Wednesday shows planes flipped over and damaged facilities. HWO is Broward County’s general aviation airport.
Most airlines are offering weather waivers for anyone traveling into or out of Florida throughout the next few days.
Some airlines, such as Southwest, are even extending travel waivers through Sunday, 2 October, for cities like Charleston, SC (CHS) and Savannah, GA (SAV) as Ian moves through the southeastern United States.
