airports and airlines prepare for a big blow

() — Airlines, airports and the federal government are bracing for the possibility that aviation infrastructure will take a major hit from Hurricane Ian. Cancellations and closures are already piling up across the Florida panhandle.

The storm is forecast to make landfall Wednesday night on Florida’s west coast as a major hurricane.

? Follow Ian’s journey live

Tampa International Airport, where officials are bracing for a major impact, was scheduled to suspend operations at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The airport will only be open for emergency aircraft, according to a publicly available notice to pilots. The airport typically handles 450 daily flights.

Florida airports lead US cancellations

FlightAware data shows more than 1,600 cancellations nationwide on Wednesday. Orlando, Miami and Tampa airports round out the top three trouble spots, though the effects could ripple across the southeastern United States, with Atlanta and Charlotte already experiencing cancellations.

The St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport terminal closed at 1 p.m. Tuesday “due to Pinellas County mandatory evacuation orders and will remain closed until the evacuation order is lifted,” according to the airport’s verified tweet.

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport announced that it will be closed starting at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday night.

Business operations at Orlando International Airport (MCO) will cease at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, according to an update from the airport on Tuesday.

The decision was made after consulting with the National Weather Service, airlines and federal partners, airport officials said.

The airport handles almost 130,000 passengers a day, according to its website.

The FAA is keeping a close eye on Ian.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was scheduled to hold a teleconference Tuesday night on Hurricane Ian’s impact on air travel, according to a notice on the agency’s website.

“The FAA is closely monitoring Hurricane Ian and its track,” the agency said in a statement, stressing that it is not canceling commercial flights.

“Before any storm arrives, we prepare and secure air traffic control facilities and equipment along the storm’s projected path so that operations can resume quickly after the hurricane passes to support relief efforts in case of disaster”.

A Delta Airlines Boeing 757 backs out of the gate at Tampa International Airport on Tuesday, September 27. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

American Airlines says it had proactively canceled 175 flights as of Tuesday morning, including mainline and regional flights.

US passengers traveling through 20 airports in the hurricane’s path can rebook flights with no change fees. The airline also added “last-minute reduced fares for cities that will be affected” in hopes of helping people trying to “evacuate by air.”

Transfer of aircraft to safer places

Several airlines are getting their aircraft out of harm’s way, explaining that it will take time to restore service after the storm. Officials and airlines must first determine when and where it is safe to resume flights, and then they must have crews on the ground available.

“Our internal weather forecast is a powerful tool to aid in operational decision-making, but equally important are the conditions of ground infrastructure after the storm passes,” Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant told .

The arrivals and departures board showed numerous flight cancellations at Tampa International Airport before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. close.
(Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty Images)

United Airlines and Southwest Airlines suspended operations at the Fort Myers and Sarasota airports. United is also canceling all Tuesday and Wednesday flights to and from Key West and canceling some flights from Orlando “to minimize crew layovers.”

They prepare in Tampa

At Tampa International Airport, a team of 120 airport employees have volunteered to stay put and ride out the storm, airport executive John Tiliacos said Tuesday. The team includes employees such as plumbers and electricians who will be essential in restoring service to the airport.

“Once the storm has passed, our team will conduct a damage assessment of our airfield and terminal facilities and determine if we can reopen immediately or if we have issues that need to be addressed as a result of the impact of the hurricane,” Tiliacos said. .

The executive raised the possibility of reopening the runways to essential flights before the reopening of the passenger terminal. The facility is rated for a Category 4 storm, but the airfield could be flooded from the nearby bay.

Ian is forecast to make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane.