As in the case of any hurricane, rebuilding the losses will take their time. Hurricane Milton plowed across Florida, leaving in its path of destruction houses, infrastructures and air services. Now the state is assessing the damage and with it airports gearing up for a partial return to services.
Airports Assess Damage
By Thursday, several airports throughout Florida remained closed following the passage of Hurricane Milton. Recovery work was underway, including at the major state hub Tampa International Airport KTPA working to reopen as teams actively assess and clean up storm damage.
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (KMLB) also took a beating with the 30 by 40 foot section of roof peeled off and part of a skylight in the central terminal torn off. Daytona Beach International Airport has been shut down and is also conducting post-storm checks to see if it can reopen by Friday.
Hours after Hurricane Milton made landfall across the state, 30-foot piece of skylight crashed down at Melbourne Orlando airport. No injuries. @FlyMLB https://t.co/YyhSdsLe1W @USATODAY pic.twitter.com/OUco7YaXI8
— Jennifer Sangalang (@byjensangalang) October 10, 2024
Operations Set to Resume Soon Many of the airports affected are working toward a Friday restart. Tampa International Airport took to social media to say that though currently closed, it will reopen at 8:00 AM on Friday. Travelers are advised to check with their respective airlines about specific flights. MCO - or Orland International Airport is going to start working again: it is waiting for the first domestic flights tonight, while it plans to resume departures and international flights tomorrow.
Airlines say they are positioning themselves to return fleets to Florida.
On October 10, American Airlines issued a news release stating full operations were returning to Miami International Airport (MIA), Key West International Airport (EYW) and Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV). Services to Orlando International (MCO), Palm Beach International (PBI), Melbourne Orlando International (MLB) and Daytona Beach International (DAB) are scheduled to resume Friday.
It will also resume flights to Marsh Harbour Airport MHH and Grand Bahama International Airport FPO in the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, American Airlines is still assessing the conditions at Tampa International, Sarasota Bradenton International, and Southwest Florida International Airport before making any decision to resume services.
Hurricane Milton's Impact on Air Travel Hurricane Milton has made landfall near Siesta Key, Fla., on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 storm, leaving in its wake destruction. So far, officials are saying there are at least 14 deaths; flash flooding is at risk for almost 11 million. Because of the landfall, more than 2.5 million people were out of power. The hurricane had caused devastation in flight schedules throughout the state. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, over 2,300 flights had been axed as of 7:00 AM on October 9th. The situation continued to deteriorate further as the day wore on, with major airports such as Tampa, Orlando, and Southwest Florida International taking the full brunt of the storm's impact. With recovery now underway in Florida, the airports and their airlines are doing their best to restore services and help passengers. The people must frequently update themselves with the latest flight schedules and be prepared to face delays amidst the after-effects of Hurricane Milton.
Good to hear about that
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