US airlines cancel more than 1,000 flights due to Hurricane Helene By Reuters

(Reuters) – U.S. airlines canceled or delayed thousands of flights on Thursday as strengthening Hurricane Helene was expected to make landfall in the Florida Keys this evening.

A total of 1,038 flights were canceled and 1,672 were delayed as of 11:59 a.m. ET, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: ) canceled 201 flights, the most among carriers, followed closely by American Airlines (NASDAQ: ) and Delta Air Lines (NYSE: ).

Officials issued dire warnings and urged residents in coastal areas along the hurricane’s path to evacuate ahead of catastrophic winds and a potentially deadly storm surge.

Airports in affected regions such as Tampa International, Orlando International and Fort Lauderdale International also posted on X warning travelers of potential delays or cancellations.

American Airlines has issued a travel advisory for airports located in the southeastern US and the Gulf of Mexico. JetBlue and Southwest Airlines also issued similar notices.