The Sunshine State is on high alert as Hurricane Milton rapidly intensified to a Category 5 storm on Monday. From Tampa to Orlando and West Palm Beach to Miami, the state’s major airports are closely monitoring the storm. Forecast models predict that Milton could make a direct landfall over Tampa Bay.
Due to the severity, officials reportedly say preparations are taken much more seriously than they were for Hurricane Helene, which impacted the region late last month. Closed: St. Pete–Clearwater & Tampa Simple Flying reported on Sunday that Allegiant Air canceled all flights at St.
Pete–Clearwater International Airport (PIE) for Wednesday and Thursday . However, the airport announced on Monday that it will close after the last flight departs on Tuesday. Tampa International Airport (TPA) will also suspend operations on Tuesday at 09:00, making last-minute flights on Monday increasingly expensive.
According to the Tampa Bay Times , Delta Air Lines’ flights from TPA to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) sold out around 10:30, while the last roundtrip flight to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) was priced at around $800. Other flights to ATL reportedly ranged from $641 to more than $2,400 as the seats filled up. Five flights are scheduled to operate at TPA on Tuesday before the closure, according to FlightAware.
As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida, American Airlines is helping customers wishing to leave the area. The first flight i.