Impact of Hurricane Milton on U.S. Airlines

By Abhinav Parmar
Published by Reuters

U.S. airlines are taking precautionary measures as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, leading to flight cancellations and schedule adjustments due to airport closures.

Flight Delays and Cancellations

As of Tuesday afternoon, 1,311 flights have been delayed and 701 canceled, according to FlightAware. This number is expected to increase with over 1,500 flights already canceled for Wednesday.

Major Airlines Adjusting Schedules:
Southwest Airlines announced schedule adjustments at several Florida airports, including Tampa International and Orlando International Airports.
– Orlando International is set to cease operations at 8 a.m. local time on Wednesday.
– Tampa International had already closed on Tuesday.

Impacted Airlines

Analysts at Raymond James noted that Allegiant Air, Sun Country Airlines, and JetBlue Airways are likely to face significant negative impacts due to reduced travel demand amid Hurricanes Milton and Helene.
– JetBlue has canceled 41 flights, while Allegiant canceled 92, and Sun Country reported approximately 19 cancellations.

Service Resumption:
Allegiant Air stated that they anticipate resuming service later in the week, contingent upon various factors.

Hurricane Milton’s Scope

Hurricane Milton is expected to grow larger as it approaches Florida’s Gulf Coast, prompting evacuation orders for over 1 million residents.

To alleviate travel disruptions, airlines like United Airlines, JetBlue, and Air Canada are adding additional flights to help transport people out of Florida.