It’s been a tough month for airlines as delays and cancelations have been hitting airports around the world.

Orlando International Airport

A global IT outage caused tons of delays and cancelations in July, making air travel difficult for nearly a week. Now, as Tropical Storm Debby nears Florida’s coast, more delays and cancelations have begun at Orlando International Airport (MCO). One airline in particular has been affected the most.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Florida as Tropical Storm Debby begins its route to Northern Florida. While the path of the hurricane doesn’t go directly near Orlando, the city and Disney World may see its effects. As the storm gets closer, MCO has begun to see hundreds of delays and cancelations. Around 11AM on August 4th, there were a total of 183 delays and 95 cancelations with the numbers increasing continuously.

©FlightAware

At one point in the morning, there were over 200 delays, but as those flights ended up being canceled, the number of cancelations grew as the delays slightly declined. However, both delays and cancelations are continuing to increase. Southwest Airlines happens to be the airline with the largest number of both delays and cancelations followed by American Airlines then Delta Air Lines.

©FlightAware

At this point, we can’t say for sure that weather is the cause of these delays and cancelations in Orlando, but the airport has shared on X that you should continue to monitor your flights and check with your airline for the most up-to-date information. Receiving text updates or downloading your airline’s app are great ways to stay updated with any flight changes.

Weather Alert: ⛈️ Our airport is open and operational while we continue to monitor Tropical Storm Debby. Please check with your airline directly in regards to their operations for the most up-to-date flight information. For general airport delays, visit: https://t.co/JKuNBVb9Fl pic.twitter.com/pEb3m78z8R

— Orlando International Airport (@MCO) August 4, 2024

The tropical storm is expected to be upgraded to a hurricane by the time it reaches the Florida Big Bend. Gov. Ron DeSantis has activated the State Emergency Operations Center along with the Florida National Guard and State Guard. Tornadoes warnings have been issued for much of the state. Regardless of if you are traveling in the path of the storm or not, high winds, rain surges, and tornadoes may occur.

©NHC

Southwest Airlines has issued a travel advisory for several parts of Florida due to the weather. This means to expect delays, changes, or cancelations to your flights if you’re traveling with Southwest. The following cities are part of the travel advisory:

• Ft. Lauderdale, FL (FLL)
• Ft. Myers, FL (RSW)
• Miami, FL (MIA)
• Sarasota/Bradenton, FL (SRQ)
• Tampa, FL (TPA)
• West Palm Beach, FL (PBI)

While Orlando is not listed, we would recommend being prepared for flight changes at MCO as well.

Southwest plane

Be prepared for more flight updates throughout the week, and stay tuned to DFB for more news.

These Orlando Airport CHANGES Could Mess With Your Next Trip

Have you had a flight delayed or canceled? Let us know in the comments!