How Do Hurricanes Impact Air Travel to WDW?

[famsen]

Just wondering. Since I haven't flown since I was twelve years old and we are flying at the end of September this year, I have no idea if airplanes fly around or above/below hurricanes if there were to be one in the Florida area at the time we go. Are hurricanes ever an issue as far as flight cancelations or changing flight times or getting flights off the ground in the Orlando area?

 

[TheWog]

Hurricanes greatly effect flight plans. If there is a hurricane over or near an airport, MCO in this case, it will delay and cancel flights. Many factors to consider, but yes it could impact your plans. If the actual hurricane and its winds are in the immediate area flights will be canceled, delayed or moved up for safety reasons. If you are trying to leave, consider that thousands of others will also be trying to get out of the area. The size of the storm will also matter since some people will be more fearful than others. If you are trying to get there you may not be able to. You may be delayed hours or days, again all depending on timing and other variables. Disney has closed because of hurricanes in the past. I think 2004 was the most recent. Only for a day, but it has happened. It all depends.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[disnut8]

You have to look beyond just Orlando and just hurricanes when thinking about how weather affects flights. Yes, planes can fly over bad storms. However, planes have to land somewhere and take off from somewhere. If that airport is closed due to weather, then the plane doesn't take off and cannot land. And that causes problems not only for that airport and its passengers but for every passenger who is waiting for a plane going through that airport. And this happens all throughout the year all through the United States and the world.

For example, I live in Atlanta. If we have a violent thunderstorm here, planes cannot take off. This is the busiest airport in the world and a major Delta hub. Say you are in sunny Philadelphia and want to go to sunny Chicago on Delta. Your flight might be delayed because the plane you are supposed to fly on is stuck in Atlanta because it can't leave to go to Philadelphia and then onto Chicago.

But if you worry about all those delays, you'd be worrying all day.

 

[tessiesevin]

I live in Louisiana. Our airport was shut down for a number of major hurricanes. It was used as emergency resources.

 

[cardramblues]

Commercial flights will NOT fly over (or under) hurricanes...ever.

Even bad thunderstorms have thunderheads that reach 30 to 40 thousand feet (the typical cruising altitude for commercial jets) and flight plans will avoid those as well.

If a hurricane does affect your travel dates, check with your air carrier for re booking...this is when that travel insurance thing comes in handy--you know the thing I never buy.

 

[JoliBug]

Hurricanes can greatly affect air travel even if it's not hitting Florida. If a hurricane hits the gulf coast of Texas any flights in or out of Houston, a major hub, wold be canceled. Even more inland airports like Atlanta or Dallas could have wather delays/cancelations due to inland activity, TS Erin hit near Brownsville TX and dissipated as it traveled into the TX panhandle and then regenerated to TS strength before hitting OK so the possibilities are endless, but delays at other airports may have residual affects at MCO or other airports where flights are diverted to. Most Aircraft will not fly into any thunderstorms. The only one I can thing of that will are the military C-130 hurricane hunters. Strong thunderstorms and hurricanes will produce what are called overshooting tops, where the cloud tops break through the lower level of the atmosphere to a level where you would need space suits to protect yourself from the solar radiation. Ok, getting to technical.....but the good news it you will have plenty of advance notice. If you are worried you can go to the National Hurricane Center website at: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

 

[goofy4tink]

Aug 13, 2004.....(Friday no less..Friday the 13th)...we flew into MCO, from Boston, arriving about 1pm. MCO closed down around 3pm....Charley was on his way!!! MCO did sustain a fair amount of damage from Charley. The hurricane passed overhead about 9pm that night....so you can see that the airport does close down fairly early if there is a hurricane coming.