Charleston airport closes as Ian approaches; many Florida airports reopening

(CNN) — Hurricane Ian dealt a further blow to air travel as the storm moved up the East Coast.

The principal airport in Charleston, South Carolina, closed on Friday, when quite a few airports in Florida were being reopening.

North of Charleston, Myrtle Beach Worldwide Airport posted Thursday afternoon that it would continue being open. However, about 90% of Friday’s flights there have been canceled, in accordance to flight monitoring web site FlightAware.

Savannah/Hilton Head Intercontinental Airport, south of Charleston together the Georgia/South Carolina border, said on its web page that it would remain open up, with flight disruptions probable.

Travellers traveling to or by means of places impacted by Hurricane Ian really should look at with their airlines about flights.

In Florida, most airports reopened Friday. There had been continue to hundreds of flight cancellations there in the wake of the storm.

About 90% of flights arriving or departing Charleston had been canceled, and there were hundreds of cancellations Friday to and from Charlotte Douglas Intercontinental Airport in North Carolina.

Airports setting up to reopen

In Florida, most of the airports that closed or observed flights suspended indicated ideas to reopen Friday. Daytona Beach front Intercontinental, Southwest Florida Worldwide and Punta Gorda Airport remained closed on Friday.

Jacksonville Intercontinental Airport declared that it would reopen on Friday. The airport claimed some airways may possibly run minimized schedules.

Orlando International Airport was to reopen at noon Friday, according to a verified tweet from the airport.

Tampa Worldwide Airport explained it would reopen at 10 a.m. Friday.

CEO Joe Lopano said in a assertion that Tampa Global is “very lucky to have arrive out on the other side of this mostly unscathed.”

Sarasota Bradenton International Airport reopened on Friday, but various carriers did not resume operations.

CEO Rick Piccolo informed CNN he viewed from his place of work as the storm pulled aside the airport’s roof.

“Whilst we will not glance as fairly as we utilized to because the ceiling’s all long gone, we’ll be purposeful,” he claimed.

Melbourne Orlando Intercontinental Airport — one of the smaller professional airports in Florida with service from Allegiant, American and Delta — prepared to reopen at 6 a.m. Friday.

Orlando Sanford Worldwide Airport opened on Friday, but the airport stated that airways canceled all Friday departures.

Gainesville Regional was set to reopen at 8 a.m. Friday.

Crucial West Intercontinental Airport reopened at 7 a.m. Thursday, the airport explained on its website.

A lot more operational updates

Daytona Beach International Airport remained shut on Friday other than to authorities, emergency and humanitarian aircraft, in accordance to Volusia County.

Industrial air provider site visitors is scheduled to resume Saturday morning.

Southwest Florida Global Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers was closed to commercial flights on Friday. The airport declared that men and women could retrieve automobiles parked in their very long- and small-time period parking lots on Friday.

The FAA stated RSW’s closure until Oct 7, but the airport states it will open faster if attainable. “Like everyone in Southwest Florida we are likely day-by-working day. We cannot converse on behalf of the airways but, like us, they want to begin traveling as soon as doable.”

Difficult-hit Punta Gorda Airport experienced “extensive” damage to hangars at the airport and was devoid of electrical power in the passenger terminal, CEO James Parish informed CNN on Thursday.

At the time electricity is restored, Parish explained the airport would make programs to restore assistance from Allegiant Air.

Tourists are advised to examine airport web-sites and social media postings as properly as with their airways for precise info and to verify timing.

The pursuing international airports in Florida are open up but some flights could be delayed and canceled:

• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Worldwide
• Miami Global
• Palm Seashore International
• Northwest Florida Beach locations International (Panama Metropolis-Bay County)
• Pensacola International
• Tallahassee Worldwide

Flight cancellations

Extra than 1,900 Friday flights in the United States had been canceled by early night on Friday.

The airports in Orlando and Tampa led with the most cancellations Thursday. Orlando and Charlotte had the most cancellations on Friday.

CNN’s Forrest Brown, Joe Sutton and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.

Prime graphic: The arrival and departures board lists many flight cancellations at Tampa Intercontinental Airport on September 27, 2022. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP by means of Getty Visuals)