Airports are closing and American Airlines is operating evacuation flights as Hurricane Milton nears Florida

As Hurricane Milton moves into Florida, commercial flights are slated to be suspended at four international airports, and American Airlines has added additional services for evacuation. Monday saw Milton strengthen into the most powerful Category 5 storm ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico. Subsequently, it became a Category 4 storm that is “extremely dangerous” and is predicted to hit land in Florida on Wednesday night.

Peak storm surges in the Tampa Bay area could reach up to 15 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center’s estimates. The airports at Sarasota-Bradenton, St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Tampa, and Orlando International have all declared closures. Every county with the exception of Orlando has mandatory evacuation orders. Tuesday’s closures are scheduled for 9 a.m. at Tampa International, 4 p.m. at Sarasota-Bradenton, and after the final flight, St. Pete-Clearwater.

Over one-third of the 158 flights at Tampa International had already been canceled as of 7 a.m. on Tuesday, according to FlightAware. Orlando International announced on Wednesday morning that it will cease all commercial flights but would still be available for relief, assistance, and emergency planes. As part of the preparation, jet bridges were being secured. Plant City, Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive, and other public airports are among those that are closing.

While monitoring the situation and advising tourists to confirm the status of their flights with their airlines, Miami International Airport said it would stay open. To aid with evacuations on Monday and Tuesday, American Airlines added a number of flights. A total of roughly 2,000 seats are now available on the 11 additional flights from Tampa International and one from Sarasota-Bradenton. Two bag checks are free for passengers.

Travel alerts have been issued by American and other airlines, and some are also eliminating cancellation and change fees. Two weeks have passed since Hurricane Helene battered the Southeast of the United States, forcing the cancellation of over 1,000 flights. According to an FAA spokeswoman, Hurricane Milton would be managed centrally by the agency’s Joint Crisis Action Team from its command center, “so there is a strong coordinated communication and planning effort.”

In order to prevent wind damage to antennas and motors, radars at airports are turned off, and air traffic controllers are evacuated from towers and taken to a lower level of the structure. “The FAA has personnel on the ground to make sure damaged equipment and services are restored quickly to aid in a rapid response to hard-hit areas,” the spokesperson said. “Relief and restoration routes are opened to assist after the storm passes.”