American is among the many airlines readying for Hurricane Milton, which rapidly developed into a Category 5 storm on Monday. Various forecasts say it will make landfall near Florida’s Gulf Coast as early as Wednesday.
The airline will suspend operations at Tampa International Airport and Sarasota Bradenton International Airport shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in preparation for the storm. American says it is also assessing operations at other Florida airports based on the latest forecasts.
To allow people the opportunity to evacuate by air, American is adding over 2,000 seats on multiple extra flights departing late Monday evening and early Tuesday from Tampa and Sarasota. These flights will operate to the carrier’s hubs in Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, Phoenix, and Washington D.C.
In a press release, the airline said those interested can book these additional flights by calling American Airlines Reservations at 800-433-7300. Passengers on these extra flights will be permitted to check two bags at no additional cost.
“American will continue tracking Hurricane Milton with customers’ and team members’ safety top of mind,” the carrier said in the release.
Airlines have already begun to scrap flights scheduled on Wednesday. Data from FlightAware shows nearly 1,200 flight cancellations so far with Southwest topping the list at nearly 400.
Tampa International Airport said it will halt flight operations on Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. On Wednesday, Orlando International Airport plans to cease all commercial flights.
