Hurricane Nicole snarled Florida travel Wednesday and was set to disrupt flights on Thursday as the storm prompted at least two airports to suspend operations.
Orlando International Airport said it would suspend operations from 4 p.m. ET “until circumstances permit operations resume.” Nearly 300 scheduled flights to Orlando, more than half the schedule, were canceled on Wednesday. More than 80% of the Thursday schedule for the airport was scrubbed.
Palm Beach International Airport said later Wednesday that flights in and out of the airport were canceled.
Miramar, Florida-based Spirit Airlines, said it would waive change fees and fare differences for Fort Lauderdale and Miami flights through Nov. 14 and Orlando flights through Nov. 16. The budget carrier said it would continue waiving change fees after that but that passengers would have to pay the difference in fare.
Other airlines including JetBlue, which has a large operation in Fort Lauderdale, and Southwest, American and Delta, also waived fees for travelers affected by the storm.
The storm is threatening the state about a month and a half after Hurricane Ian slammed into Florida, causing severe damage in the Fort Meyers and Naples areas and other parts of its Gulf Coast.
Spirit said Hurricane Ian cost it up to $15 million through the fourth quarter due to lower bookings and canceled flights.