Hurricane Milton: Tampa Airport Suspends Operations

DALLAS — Tampa International Airport (TPA) has suspended all commercial and cargo operations ahead of Hurricane Milton, with the airport remaining closed to the public from 9 AM today "until it can assess any damage after the storm."

Tampa International and its partners have been preparing the airfield and terminals, which will include the locking of 58 jet bridges, ground equipment, and any remaining aircraft, in anticipation of the storm's arrival. Peter O. Knight, Tampa Executive, and Plant City terminals, the three additional public terminals operated by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, will also be shuttered within the same timeframe.

The airport and its main Terminal and airsides are not designed to serve as a shelter for individuals or vehicles and will not be accessible to the public, says TPA. Emergency services will be unable to respond to calls or convey individuals to or from the TPA, as the airport is located in a "A" evacuation zone and will not be staffed to provide assistance or emergency supplies to others.

For the same reason, TPA says parking garages will also be closed to the public during the suspension of operations, and people are asked not to bring vehicles to the Airport for parking.

Travelers are urged to heed emergency management advisories and pay close attention to public safety alerts. Currently, Milton is forecast to bring potentially catastrophic storm surge, high winds and heavy rain to Tampa Bay at around 1-2 AM EST Wednesday night and all of Florida's Gulf Coast.

Reopening Timeframe

The Airport anticipates reopening after a damage assessment that will begin as soon as it is safe to do so. As of now, TPA is closed, as it expects 10 to 15 inches of rain and it is located in an evacuation zone.

As a result, TPA will closely coordinate the resumption of operations with its partners, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and airlines, based on roadway safety, facility readiness and staffing. Any changes to the timing will be promptly communicated.

Important reminders for passengers:

• Please contact your airline for the latest flight information. TPA will announce if flight operations are affected by the storm, but airlines are responsible for their schedules.
• Monitor the weather closely. Please stay up to date on forecasts for your area and any regions to which you may be traveling to or from.
• Follow TPA social media for the latest updates. Our account on X (formerly Twitter), @FlyTPA, will be the place to find the latest updates.
• TPA will notify the public of our timeline to reopen when the decision to do so safely has been made.