Flights between Florida and the UK have been cancelled as the United States gears up for the onslaught of Hurricane Milton. The storm is set to hit Florida’s west coast late Wednesday or early Thursday, bringing tropical force winds and torrential rain.
Virgin, TUI and British Airways are reportedly among the airlines affected by this ‘life-threatening storm surge’, while Orlando International Airport said it would cease commercial passenger operations at 8am on Wednesday, according to SomersetLive.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has also urged all tourists to monitor approaching storms on the US National Hurricane Centre website and follow instructions from local authorities, including evacuation orders.
A spokesperson added: “We are closely monitoring the development of Hurricane Milton towards the United States. We urge all British nationals in Florida or travelling to the region to follow travel advice and guidance from local authorities.”
But for those wondering what specific flights and flight paths are affected, The Express has compiled a full list below.
Virgin Atlantic flights
Manchester Evening News reports that Virgin Atlantic has been forced to cancel flights on Tuesday, October 8; Wednesday October 9 and Thursday October 10 between London Heathrow, Manchester, Orlando and Tampa airports.
These are listed below:
Tuesday 08 October 2024
VS129 – London Heathrow to Tampa
VS130 – Tampa to London Heathrow
Wednesday 09 October 2024
VS129 – London Heathrow to Tampa
VS130 – Tampa to London Heathrow
VS074 – Orlando to Manchester
VS075 – Manchester to Orlando
VS076 – Orlando to Manchester
VS091 – London Heathrow to Orlando
VS092 – Orlando to London Heathrow
VS135 – London Heathrow to Orlando
VS136 – Orlando to London Heathrow
VS225 – Edinburgh – Orlando has been delayed by 23 hours and will now operate on Thursday 10th October.
Thursday 10 October 2024
VS129 – London Heathrow to Tampa
VS130 – Tampa to London Heathrow
VS073 – Manchester to Orlando
VS074 – Orlando to Manchester
VS075 – Manchester to Orlando
VS076 – Orlando to Manchester
VS091 – London Heathrow to Orlando
VS092 – Orlando to London Heathrow
VS135 – London Heathrow to Orlando
VS136 – Orlando to London Heathrow
VS225 – Edinburgh – Orlando has been delayed by a further 23 hours and will now operate on Friday 11 October.
In a statement, the airline adds: “Due to adverse weather conditions expected to be caused by Hurricane Milton, a state of emergency has been declared in Florida. Unfortunately this has impacted our flying schedule, and services to and from Orlando and Tampa are subject to cancellations and delays.
“The safety and comfort of our customers and crew is our top priority and we are contacting any Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holiday customers who may be impacted by the hurricane to discuss their options. We ask that anyone travelling checks the status of their flights on virginatlantic.com for the latest information. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience as we work through the impact of Hurricane Milton.”
Virgin Atlantic also stressed that it will ‘explore all options’ to support impacted customers. The statement continued: “We’re working hard to rebook customers onto alternative flights however due to limited availability, new flights will depart on a different date, may involve travel via a connecting airport or depart/arrive at an alternative airport.
“Customers who no longer wish to travel will be entitled to a refund, and can request this here.”
TUI flights
TUI flights to Florida’s Melbourne International Airport are expected to be ‘extremely disrupted’ in the midst of Hurricane Milton. In a statement, the airline warned that its ‘TOM070’ flight from London Gatwick Airport to Melbourne International Airport had been cancelled today and customers had been contacted directly ‘to discuss their options’.
Two others scheduled for tomorrow (October 10) will also ‘not operate as planned’. TUI explained: “We intend to delay these flights for a minimum of 24 hours and operate them on Friday 11 October. We will be in contact with customers directly to confirm their new flight times.”
The flights affected by this include:
Thursday 10 October 2024
TOM742 – Glasgow Airport to Melbourne International Airport
TOM 664 – Birmingham Airport to Melbourne International Airport
TUI’s statement adds: “The safety of our customers is our top priority, and we are closely monitoring the path of Hurricane Milton which is forecast to be a storm of significant strength and pass over Florida from Wednesday.”
British Airways
The Sun claims that several British Airways flights have also been affected by the storm. Today, this reportedly includes the following:
Wednesday 9 October 2024
BA 2167 – London Gatwick to Tampa
BA 2037 – London Gatwick to Orlando
BA 2039 – London Gatwick to Orlando
A spokesperson also told The Express: “Safety is always our highest priority and we continue to monitor the situation closely. As with other airlines, we are adjusting our flight schedules where airport closures occur and providing any affected customers with alternatives, including flight rebooking options or full refunds.”
It’s understood that BA travellers affected by the storm will be offered additional flexibility to travel at a later date for no extra cost.