A bulletin board at Tampa International Airport indicates that all American Airlines flights departing from Tampa, Florida, on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, have been canceled due to the possibility of Hurricane Milton.
Chris O’Meara | AP
As Floridians prepared for Hurricane Milton to make landfall, airlines canceled hundreds of flights, theme parks prepared to close areas and cruise lines changed routes.
The Category 4 storm, with maximum wind speeds near 145 mph, is expected to hit Florida’s west coast on Wednesday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. More than 50 counties in Florida are under a state of emergency.
Tampa International Airport suspended operations at 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday and said it would “reopen when it is safe to do so.”
Orlando International Airport will close at 8 a.m. Wednesday. southwest airlinesThe airline, which has about one-fifth of the market share in Orlando, operated 402 flights out of its total schedule on Wednesday, according to FlightAware data.
A Southwest Airlines employee covers a ticket counter with a plastic bag just before the Tampa International Airport closes due to the possibility of Hurricane Milton, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, in Tampa, Florida.
Chris O’Meara | AP
More than 750 Orlando flights were canceled, more than 85% of Wednesday’s schedule, according to FlightAware. Most flights to and from Southwest Florida International Airport, which serves Tampa and Fort Myers, were also canceled Wednesday.
The airline has waived change fees and fare differences for affected customers. american airlines and united airlines Additional flights from Florida have been added ahead of the expected landing in Milton.
meanwhile, disney Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will be temporarily closed starting Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET, the company announced.
universal “At this time, park operations and hours continue as normal,” the Orlando Resort website says, but encourages visitors to check back for updates.
Busch Gardens in Tampa will be closed Tuesday through Thursday, according to United Parks. “SeaWorld Orlando remains open. We continue to monitor the status and path of Hurricane Milton,” it said on its website.
carnival warned customers that the ports of Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami are likely to be closed and that some routes and destinations will be changed to avoid the storm.
Disclosure: Comcast owns Universal Studios and NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.
