Full List of Florida Airports Closing Ahead of Hurricane Milton

Several airports have announced closures ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall in western Florida later this week.
The storm strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and is on track to hit the Tampa Bay region by Wednesday. Forecasters predict that the storm will weaken before it comes ashore, although there is a chance the system will maintain hurricane strength as it passes over Florida into the Atlantic.
Evacuation orders have been issued throughout the Sunshine State. Residents are still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm less than two weeks ago. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis said on Monday that it’s crucial debris left by Helene is cleared before Milton reaches the state, saying the wreckage could “dramatically increase damage” in areas hit hardest.
The storm also threatens air travel in and out of Florida this week. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday that it was “closely monitoring the path” of Milton and its impacts on Tampa International Airport and other stops throughout the state. Travelers are encouraged to check the FAA’s flight status dashboard online and contact their airline ahead of Milton making landfall, the agency said in a post to X, formerly Twitter.
Here are the Florida airports that have planned cancellations as of 7:50 p.m. ET Monday.
Florida’s largest airport, Miami International Airport, said on Monday that it is “closely monitoring” Milton but plans to remain open, adding in a post to X that the airport is “committed to ensuring your travel plans go smoothly.” Travelers are encouraged to confirm their flight status with their airline amid the storm.
Palm Beach International Airport is open as of Monday evening, as are Jacksonville International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The FAA told Newsweek via email Monday that the agency’s Joint Crisis Action Team and Command Center are handling air traffic preparations for Milton “centrally, so there is a strong coordinated communication and planning effort.”
“They help prioritize activities in the affected airspace and get the needed resources to those areas,” the agency said. “Essential air traffic control equipment, including air traffic facilities, get extra protection along the storm path so that once the hurricane passes operations can resume as quickly and safely as possible.”
The crisis team and command hub also facilitate “relief and restoration routes” after the storm passes, including the deployment of “personnel on the ground to make sure damaged equipment and services are restored quickly to aid in a rapid response to hard hit areas.”
“The FAA will embed personnel at Emergency Operations Centers to assist with airspace coordination, ensuring the safety of flight and priority access for emergency services,” read Monday’s email.
Update 10/07/24, 8:01 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional comment from the FAA.