More than 1,600 flights cancelled as Hurricane Dorian rushes to East Coast

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Passengers heading home from extended Labor Day getaways or heading out on business trips face another day of heavy flight cancellations Tuesday.

Airlines have cancelled more than 1,600 Tuesday flights to, within and from the United States as of 9:45 a.m. Eastern, according to flight tracking service FlightAware. That is on top of nearly 1,500 on Labour Day.

Florida airports remain the hardest hit. Nearly half of the cancelled Tuesday flights – 709 – were headed to or from Orlando International Airport. The central Florida airport, a magnet for vacationers, ceased commercial operations at 2 a.m. Tuesday. The airport had earlier rescinded plans to close on Labor Day, though flight cancellations were still heavy.

Other Florida airports with heavy inbound and outbound flight cancellations Tuesday, according to FlightAware:

Fort Lauderdale International: 295. The airport closed Monday at noon and said it plans to reopen Tuesday at noon, but will confirm the reopening at 10 a.m.

Miami International: 131. The South Florida airport said it is no longer in the cone of concern for the hurricane but warned passengers about residual flight cancellations.

Palm Beach International:85. The airport in West Palm Beach ceased flights Monday.

Travellers don’t have to be headed to or from Florida to be affected by the travel mess. Cancellations are starting to grow, though they are still relatively insignificant, in two major airline connecting hubs in the region, Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina. Atlanta is a hub for Delta Air Lines, and Charlotte for American Airlines.

Another trouble spot Tuesday morning was Chicago. Storms have cancelled 256 flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and 41 at Chicago Midway International Airport.

Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for flight status and any rebooking help though some airlines are warning their phone lines and other support channels are overwhelmed.

On Monday, United advised passengers not to go to the airport for rebooking but to use the airline’s website or customer service centre.

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