Orlando International Airport (MCO) has announced it will suspend commercial operations ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida this week.
Orlando International Airport Suspends Commercial Operations
According to a release, MCO will cease commercial passenger and private operations in advance of Hurricane Milton. At this time, the airport is not closed and will remain open to accept and aid in emergency and relief flights as necessary.
Read the full update:
On Wednesday morning, October 9, Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) will cease commercial passenger and private operations in advance of Hurricane Milton, a move made in coordination with our partners.
The airport is not closed and will remain open to accept emergency/aid and relief flights as necessary. We will resume commercial operations as soon as possible based on damage assessment.
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA), which manages and operates both MCO and ORL, continues to stress safety. Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for flight updates.
GOAA wants to alert the public that MCO is not an authorized shelter. The airport cannot accommodate local residents during severe weather events. We will continue to monitor the storm and provide additional updates as needed.
Orlando International Airport
Orange County, where MCO, Walt Disney World, and Universal Orlando Resort are located, is currently under a Hurricane Watch through Thursday, October 10. Hurricane Milton reached Category 5 strength earlier this morning.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a State of Emergency on October 5 for the Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando areas while Milton was still a tropical storm. It strengthened into a hurricane on October 6.
Walt Disney World has currently paused hotel reservations for October 9-10, and guests are unable to make park reservations for October 9. Disney has also waived hotel cancellation and change fees for the time being.
At this time, both Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort are operating under normal conditions.
Has this cease of operations affected your travel plans in or out of Orlando? Share your story with us in the comments.
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Was supposed to fly in Wednesday morning from Pennsylvania. Found out about the airport closing from WDWNT…nothing was relayed to us from American Airlines and they were still accepting bookings for Wednesday even after the press release. Switched to Thursday morning, hoping they are able to reopen by then.