Hurricane Helene disrupts Charlotte airport flights. Here’s what to know if you’re flying
More than 1,000 flights at Charlotte’s airport have been disrupted during the past two days, as Hurricane Helene drenches the region and thwarts travelers’ plans.
As of Friday morning, as many as 93 more flights had been canceled at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, with an additional 51 delayed, , according to FlightAware, an online website providing real-time information.
Adding that total since the airport began delaying and canceling flight ahead of Helene on Wednesday, some 1,018 flights have been disrupted over the past two days.
Hurricane Helene made landfall late Thursday night, hitting the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia as it became a dangerous Category 4 storm, according to the National Weather Service.
The airport said the cancellations and delays are primarily affecting flights from Florida. CLT is working with aviation, local, state and federal officials. Maintenance teams are on standby to respond to heavy rain and strong winds.
Charlotte Douglas is advising passengers to check with the airlines regarding the status of their flight before coming to the airport.
What to do about flight cancellations
American Airlines, which accounts for about 87% of all flights out of CLT, issued travel alerts on Wednesday for airports in the Southeast, with Charlotte Douglas among them.
The airline said passengers may rebook trips and will not be charged for change fees. Customers can reschedule their travel on aa.com or by calling 800-433-7300.
Airport operations at Tallahassee, Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Key West were suspended Thursday, according to the airline. American will restore service after weather conditions improve and airport facilities reopen.
Before service was suspended, American added two additional flights out of Fort Myers on Wednesday to bring customers to its hubs in Charlotte and Dallas-Fort Worth.
American resumed normal operations at Grand Cayman, Cancun and Cozumel for international travel.
“American will continue tracking this system with our customers’ and team members’ safety top of mind,” an airline spokesperson said.
Weather trackers are expecting Helene to cause life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds for Florida’s panhandle and western coasts, according to the National Weather Service.
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday.
Along with heavy rain, Cooper said threats include flash flooding, landslides and damaging winds to the mountains and Piedmont area of the state.
“Now is the time for North Carolinians to prepare, make sure emergency kits are up-to-date and pay attention to the weather alerts in your area,” Cooper said in a news release.
