HANOVER TOWNSHIP, LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. – Hurricane Milton not only resulted in thousands of flight cancellations and delays, but also shuttered many of Florida’s airports that can be reached from the Lehigh Valley.
The disruptions included a number of airports that are nonstop destination routes from the Allentown area. They included:
- Punta Gorda, FL (PGD)
- Sanford/Orlando and Orlando International, FL (SFB/MCO)
- Sarasota/Bradenton, FL (SRQ)
- St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL (PIE)
As of Friday, all but one of those airports had reopened and were resuming operations post-Milton.
Punta Gorda
Punta Gorda Airport is open and operational, it announced on its website, while urging travelers to check directly with their airlines
“PGD is not responsible for notifying passengers of Allegiant’s flight changes,” the site said, advising travelers to download the Allegiant App for alerts or to visit the Allegiant Travel Alerts page.
Orlando
Orlando International Airport also announced a timeline for resuming operations, with the airport partially reopening Thursday evening for a few arriving domestic flights.
Departures and international flights resumed Friday.
“Airlines will continue to adjust their schedules to better accommodate passengers, so please verify your flight status directly with them,” read a statement on social media.
“We hope you and your loved ones stayed safe throughout the storm, and we sincerely appreciate your patience during this time.”
Orlando Sanford International Airport also resumed operations on Friday, but also urged travelers to check in with their airlines to make sure their flight has not been canceled.
St. Pete/Clearwater
All flights in and out of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area appeared to be canceled on Friday.
Allegiant Flight 172 scheduled to depart Allentown on Friday was listed as canceled on FlyABE.com.
The PIE website also listed all incoming and departing flights as canceled, except for two mid-day flights from Cincinnati that remained “scheduled.”
Milton made landfall as a Category 3 storm, pummeling homes and businesses, toppling cranes and shredding the roof of Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Counties across Florida reported at least 16 storm-related fatalities, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
