Airport Closures & Flight Cancellations Continue as Ian Moves On
(CNN) -- Tropical Storm Ian threatens another blow to air travel as it moves up the East Coast and away from the Florida panhandle, where airports are assessing conditions and determining when service can safely resume."Tropical storm Ian is moving off of Florida into the Atlantic and is expected to turn northwest and make landfall again in the Carolinas tomorrow [Friday]," the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement, saying passengers should check on the status of their flights with the airlines.In Florida, a number of airports remained closed on Thursday with hundreds of flight cancellations in the wake of the storm.Airports starting to reopenAll flights were canceled Thursday at Jacksonville International Airport, which announced that it will reopen on Friday.
The TSA checkpoint will open at 7 a.m., the airport said on Twitter. Some airlines may operate reduced schedules, so passengers are advised to check with their airlines.Orlando International Airport said Thursday afternoon that damage inspections are underway.
The airport did not immediately report the nature of any damage discovered during the assessments."Due to the extent of the storm, no timeframe has been selected for when MCO will return to normal operations," the airport said.Melbourne Orlando International Airport -- one of the smaller commercial airports in Florida with service from Allegiant, American and Delta -- said it plans to reopen at 6 a.m.
ET Friday.Tampa International Airport expects "high passenger volumes" when it reopens at 10 a.m. Friday.CEO Joe Lopano said in a statement that Tampa International is "very lucky to have come out on the other side of this largely unscathed."Sarasota Bradenton International Airport anticipates.
