Hurricane Milton: Florida airports to close, flight cancellations hit Atlanta

With evacuees rushing to leave Florida before Hurricane Milton’s arrival and some airports in the path of the storm closing and suspending flights, President Joe Biden warned airlines against price gouging and Delta Air Lines said it would cap some fares.

Tampa International Airport is closing Tuesday, followed by closures of airports in Sarasota/Bradenton and St. Petersburg and the suspension of airline flights to and from Orlando International before Hurricane Milton hits Florida .

More than 340 flights at Tampa’s airport have been canceled for Tuesday, including more than 25 flights between Atlanta and Tampa, according to FlightAware.com.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport had a total of more than 50 flights canceled for Tuesday, many of them flights to or from Tampa and Sarasota/Bradenton. Some flights from Asheville continue to be canceled since Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina less than two weeks ago.

Officials have issued evacuation orders for communities in a large swath of Florida’s Gulf Coast .

The Associated Press reported that Biden said after a hurricane briefing: “I’m calling on the airlines and other companies to provide as much service as possible to accommodate evacuations, and not to engage in price gouging — to just do it on the level.”

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it “began proactively capping fares for new bookings on Sunday, Oct. 6 for customers looking to fly out of Milton’s forecast path.”

Delta said its fares for 12 cities in Florida were “capped in a range based on distance flown” and that it was adding flight capacity where possible.

More than 600 flights have been canceled nationally on Tuesday, including more than 75 Delta flights, according to FlightAware.

For Wednesday, more than 1,500 flights have already been canceled, including hundreds in Tampa, Orlando and Fort Myers, FlightAware data show. Wednesday’s cancellations including more than 95 flights canceled to or from Hartsfield-Jackson.

No flights will operate Wednesday and Thursday at Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport. Punta Gorda Airport is suspending flight operations starting midday Tuesday, according to state officials.

“The safety of Delta’s people and customers is of paramount concern for the airline as it considers flight delays, cancellations and the resumption of service when the storm passes, in coordination with local officials,” Delta said. “Resumption of flight schedules will happen as soon as possible after a thorough safety assessment of local infrastructure and conditions.”

At The Georgian Terrace hotel in Midtown Atlanta, Jim Bennett, the director of sales and marketing, said the hotel has seen first responders arrive at the hotel and others likely trying to get out of Milton’s path. He said the Georgian Terrace has residential-style suites that have a full kitchen and washer/dryer, which makes it an attractive choice for hurricane evacuees and first responders.

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