Flying Around a Hurricane

We are flew into MCO on the 29th on VS075 from MAN and are due back out to MAN on 15th from MCO on VS076.

There is now a storm on the way, and if it carries on it's predicted path will hit South/North Carolina on the day we are due to fly out.

Although this won't close MCO airport, can they fly around it or will they cancel the flight?

We are stopping in FL with family, so it's not a massive problem, but really don't want the flight delayed.

[Nottingham Nick]

If they can fly round it, I am sure they will. Cancelling flights is only done as a last resort on safety grounds.

As you can imagine, it is a very expensive and logistically difficult exercise to cancel a flight. I would have thought that diversion would be first option if MCO was closed. This is a long way off though.

The storm you are talking about - Irene - has been downgraded to a 'Tropical Depression' as I type, with winds of only 30-35 mph. It may well strengthen as it hits the warmer water though. For the latest details, see the latest news from USA Today

Nick

The only times I have know VS to canx flights to due to hurricanes was when they posed a direct threat to hitting the airport. I have flown many times (as I am sure a lot of other people without even knowing it) in the fringe of a storm/hurricane as these can spread for hundreds of miles.

This is pretty much a fact of life when flying to FL or the Caribbean in hurricance season.

Remember that most hurricane systems start off the coast of Africa, make their way across the atlantic to hit somewhere in the Caribbean before turning northwards over, or off the coast of North America. It is very unusual for a storm to start as high as the carolinas and then move down to Florida.

Paul

Hi

Last year we flew out of MAN on the day hurricane charlie hit, we were slightly delayed going out so that ops could chart a flight that took us away from the hurricane.

On the return journey we left just after hurricane frances had hit and again they plotted another journey which took us around the storm.

So I would imagine you will be fine, I suppose the only trouble would be if the hurricane hit MCO but it looks like this one won't.

Thanks everyone.

I have flown this route many times before, but never when a hurricane has been directly forcast to be so close, so I thought I'd ask and see what people though.

Thanks again.