Miami Airport Post-Irma: Recovery And Resilience

Hurricane Irma caused the cancellation of thousands of flights to and from Miami International Airport in 2017. The airport remained open, but American Airlines, the largest carrier at MIA, cancelled all flights after 6:40 pm on Friday. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport also closed, and flights to Key West, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Providenciales, Turks and Caicos were cancelled through Thursday.

Miami International Airport remained open during Hurricane Irma

By Friday morning, 595 flights had been cancelled at Miami International Airport due to Hurricane Irma. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport also saw 302 flight cancellations as of Friday afternoon. American Airlines flights to Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Key West, San Juan, Providenciales and St. Maarten were cancelled through Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. American Airlines also cancelled all flights for Saturday and Sunday.

Miami International Airport was preparing to close by Friday night as Hurricane Irma neared South Florida.

American Airlines cancelled all flights after 6:40 p.m. on Friday

Miami International Airport remained open during Hurricane Irma, but American Airlines, the largest carrier at MIA, cancelled all flights after 6:40 p.m. on Friday. The airport said it would only close if there was severe damage or safety concerns that resulted in stranded passengers and non-essential airport employees being evacuated to nearby shelters.

By Friday morning, 271 departures and 324 arrivals (595 flights total) had been cancelled because of the hurricane. Fort Lauderdale had 302 flight cancellations as of Friday afternoon. American Airlines flights to Antigua, St. Kitts, St. Thomas and St. Croix were cancelled through Wednesday, plus two dozen cancellations for flights on Thursday and Friday. Flights to Key West, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Providenciales were cancelled through Thursday, and flights to St. Maarten were cancelled through Friday. American Airlines also cancelled all flights for Saturday and Sunday.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport were expected to close by Friday night ahead of Hurricane Irma's approach on Florida.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport closed on Friday night

The closure of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport came as Hurricane Irma approached South Florida. Miami International Airport remained open, but American Airlines, the largest carrier at MIA, cancelled all flights after 6:40 p.m. on Friday. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport were expected to close by Friday night ahead of the hurricane. As of Friday morning, Miami International Airport had 271 departures and 324 arrivals cancelled, totalling 595 flights. Fort Lauderdale had 302 flight cancellations as of Friday afternoon.

Buses transported stranded passengers to Fox Trail Elementary School

Miami International Airport remained open during Hurricane Irma, but American Airlines cancelled all flights after 6:40 pm on Friday. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport also remained open, but began operating buses to designated shelters for stranded passengers. The buses transported passengers to Fox Trail Elementary School at 1250 Nob Hill Road in Davie.

The airport said it would only close if there was severe damage or safety concerns that resulted in stranded passengers and non-essential airport employees being evacuated to nearby shelters.

As of Friday morning, Miami International Airport had 271 departures and 324 arrivals cancelled due to the hurricane. Fort Lauderdale had 302 flight cancellations as of Friday afternoon. American Airlines flights to several destinations were cancelled through Wednesday, with additional cancellations for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Flights to Key West, San Juan, Puerto Rico and Providenciales were cancelled

Miami International Airport remained open during Hurricane Irma, but American Airlines, the largest carrier at MIA, cancelled all flights after 6:40 pm on Friday. The airport said it would only close if there was severe damage or safety concerns. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport also closed by Friday night.

Flights to Key West, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Providenciales were cancelled through Thursday. This was due to the approach of Hurricane Irma, which was expected to cause severe damage and safety concerns. The storm was due to hit South Florida by Friday night, and airports in the area were preparing to close.

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