Florida airports reopening as Ian heads for South Carolina
CNN, US COAST GUARD, WKMG, WPLG, WCSC
By Pete Muntean, Gregory Wallace and Marnie Hunter, CNN
Tropical Storm Ian threatens another blow to air travel as it moves up the East Coast and away from the Florida panhandle, where many airports are reopening on Friday.
“Tropical storm Ian is moving off of Florida into the Atlantic and is expected to turn northwest and make landfall again in the Carolinas [Friday],” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement, saying passengers should check on the status of their flights with the airlines.
In Florida, most airports had plans to reopen Friday. There will still hundreds of flight cancellations in the wake of the storm.
Airports starting to reopen
Jacksonville International Airport announced that it will reopen on Friday. The TSA checkpoint will open at 7 a.m., the airport said on Twitter. Some airlines may operate reduced schedules, so passengers are advised to check with their airlines.
Orlando International Airport will reopen at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, according to a verified tweet from the airport.
Tampa International Airport expects “high passenger volumes” when it reopens at 10 a.m. Friday.
CEO Joe Lopano said in a statement that Tampa International is “very lucky to have come out on the other side of this largely unscathed.”
Sarasota Bradenton International Airport anticipates reopening by late Friday, CEO Rick Piccolo told CNN. He watched from his office as the storm pulled apart the airport’s roof.
“While we won’t look as pretty as we used to because the ceiling’s all gone, we’ll be functional,” he said.
St. Pete-Clearwater International plans to reopen Friday morning.
Melbourne Orlando International Airport — one of the smaller commercial airports in Florida with service from Allegiant, American and Delta — said it plans to reopen at 6 a.m. ET Friday.
Key West International Airport reopened at 7 a.m. Thursday, the airport said on its website.
More operational updates
Daytona Beach International Airport remains closed.
The airport posted an update Thursday evening at 8 p.m. saying that the airport’s air field and terminal building are closed and that all Friday departing and arriving American and Delta flights are canceled.
Southwest Florida International (Fort Myers-Lee County) is closed to commercial flights; however, it’s open to emergency personnel and humanitarian flights.
Travelers are advised to check airport websites and social media postings as well as with their airlines for specific information and to confirm timing.
The following international airports in Florida are open but some flights could be delayed and canceled:
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International
• Miami International
• Palm Beach International
• Northwest Florida Beaches International (Panama City-Bay County)
• Pensacola International
• Tallahassee International
As for smaller airports, hard-hit Punta Gorda is closed through at least Thursday.
CEO James Parish said Punta Gorda Airport experienced “extensive” damage to hangars at the airport and does not have power in the passenger terminal. Once power is restored, Parish said the airport will make plans to restore service from Allegiant Air.
Gainesville Regional was expected to reopen at 8 a.m. Friday.
Flight cancellations
More than 1,600 Friday flights in the US had been canceled by early Friday morning.
On Thursday, more than 2,000 US flights were canceled , according to data from flight tracking site FlightAware. And more than 2,100 US flights were canceled on Wednesday.
The airports in Orlando and Tampa led with the most cancellations Thursday.
American Airlines says operations at its fourth-largest hub in Miami are recovering.
American customers traveling through airports in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas can rebook flights without change fees.
Other US carriers, including Delta, Southwest and United, have also introduced flexible policies for impacted passengers.
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CNN’s Forrest Brown and Joe Sutton contributed to this report. Top image: The arrival and departures board lists numerous flight cancellations at Tampa International Airport on September 27, 2022. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
