Orlando International Airport closed at 4 p.m. Wednesday as Tropical Storm Nicole approached Florida’s Atlantic coast, bringing strong winds and rain across the peninsula.  

Commercial operations still are halted Thursday, airport officials said. They urged travelers to continue to work with their airlines regarding specific flights.

What You Need To Know

  •  In preparation for the Nicole, Orlando International Airport closed at 4 p.m. on Wednesday

  •  Operations remained paused Thursday, officials said

  • During Hurricane Ian, more than 2,000 flights were canceled

As weather conditions improve, damage assessment crews are assessing inside facilities and then moving outside to address issues. Once all assessments are complete, the airlines, federal agencies and the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority will meet to determine the best time to resume limited operations, airport officials said.

Throughout Wednesday morning and afternoon, travelers leaving Orlando prepared for flight delays and cancellations due to the storm.  

Noah Stewart, who visits Orlando regularly from his home state of Texas, said delays are a familiar, if unpleasant, aspect of flying.  

“I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with flights being delayed until the next day, and if that happens it’ll be like two days, because it’s supposed to be storming all day tomorrow,” said Stewart. “So that would be really unfortunate.”  

This is the second time in recent months that airlines have been forced to halt operations due to extreme weather in Florida — during Hurricane Ian, more than 2,000 flights were canceled. 

Some airlines began to cancel flights well in advance of the 4 p.m. deadline.  

“The flight got canceled, and there was no announcement over the airport,” said JP Rosal, who was planning to travel to Rhode Island Wednesday afternoon. "I found out because I was roaming around asking for which gate it is."

His flight, along with all other flights to Rhode Island, were canceled at around noon due to the impending weather.

Some airlines, including JetBlue and Spirit, have waived fees for changing flights due to the storm. The Orlando International Airport has reminded customers to check in with their airlines as travelers make new plans and rebook flights for the coming week.