Airlines have canceled more than 300 flights and added more service to get travelers out of areas that could be affected by Hurricane Florence.
Southwest Airlines said Wednesday that it plans to suspend operations out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport on Thursday through at least Friday night. So far, airlines have canceled more than 300 flights scheduled for Thursday in or out of Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Charleston International Airport and Myrtle Beach International Airport.
Delta Air Lines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines said they capped some airfares at levels below what last-minute tickets would cost. Those carriers, along with American Airlines, whose second-largest hub is Charlotte, are waiving change fees for travelers who could be affected by the storm. Some airlines are also waiving baggage and in-cabin pet fees for travel from airports affected by Florence.
Airlines generally offer waivers and cancel flights ahead of time so travelers are not stranded at the airport and crews are not out of place when operations resume. They will also routinely keep aircraft away from affected airports.
Constant high winds of at least 36 knots, about 41 miles per hour, can prevent Federal Aviation Administration staff from servicing radars and radio towers, so some systems could be shut down pre-emptively, the agency said.
Boeing Co. said it flew some of its 787 widebody jets from its factory in Charleston on Tuesday to Seattle to keep them out of the storm’s path.
Source:CNBC
