Isaias Shuts Pensacola and Okaloosa Airports as Airlines Waive Fees and Tolls Lift on Panhandle Bridges

Commercial air service across the western Florida Panhandle has largely shut down ahead of Hurricane Isaias. Pensacola International Airport closed its terminal to commercial flights at 10 a.m. Friday, and all three Okaloosa County airports, including Destin-Fort Walton Beach, stopped operating at 9 p.m. Thursday. Major airlines are letting Florida travelers rebook without change fees, and cruise lines and highway officials are adjusting around a storm that became a Category 3 major hurricane Friday morning.

The National Hurricane Center expects Isaias to make landfall tonight or early Saturday between Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and the Bay/Gulf County line, with tropical-storm-force winds reaching the coast beginning Friday. For anyone with plans to fly, drive or sail through the northern Gulf this weekend, that means most travel in the region is off until at least Saturday.

Panhandle airports

Okaloosa County announced Wednesday that all of its airports, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS), Destin Executive Airport (DTS) and Bob Sikes Airport (CEW) in Crestview, would close at 9 p.m. Thursday, with no aircraft operations permitted after that time. The county said the terminal and airport properties are not available as shelters. Destin-Fort Walton Beach will reopen when it is safe to do so, airport officials said.

Pensacola International Airport (PNS) closed its terminal to commercial operations at 10 a.m. Friday. Airport officials said a reopening date will be set after damage assessments, and WEAR-TV reported that the airport hoped to resume service Saturday or Sunday, depending on what crews find.

Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), near Panama City Beach, said in an Oct. 8 statement that it remained open and fully operational while monitoring the storm, but warned that weather can affect airline schedules and urged travelers to check with their carriers. ECP sits inside the Hurricane Warning in Bay County.

More than 150 flights into or out of Pensacola and Destin-Fort Walton Beach had been canceled Friday by 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, the majority of the more than 290 canceled nationwide at that point, according to FlightAware data cited by WKRG. Airports in Mobile, Gulfport-Biloxi and New Orleans are also expected to see disruptions.

Airline waivers for Florida airports

The major carriers serving the Panhandle have issued travel waivers, though the airports and dates covered differ, according to the airlines' notices as reported by travel outlets:

Because Pensacola and Okaloosa County airports are physically closed, travelers should contact their airlines directly rather than going to the airport. Reports differ on whether American's waiver includes Tampa International, so Tampa Bay travelers should check their reservations in the American app.

Cruises: Tampa sailings proceed, Mobile's season ahead

Port Tampa Bay said Thursday, "Cruises at Port Tampa Bay are continuing as scheduled," adding that it is monitoring storm conditions and will post updates if anything affects operations. The port told passengers to contact their cruise lines for itinerary details.

Carnival Cruise Line said this week that it was monitoring Isaias for six ships across 12 current and upcoming sailings in the Gulf. That list includes Carnival Paradise, which returned to Tampa on schedule from its Oct. 4 voyage and embarked its Oct. 8 departure as planned, according to Carnival's weather update as reported by cruise news sites. The other ships on watch sail from New Orleans and Galveston: Carnival Valor and Carnival Liberty from New Orleans, and Carnival Breeze, Carnival Dream and Carnival Jubilee from Galveston. Carnival said guests could sign up for text alerts by texting a ship code to 278473; the code for the Oct. 8 Carnival Paradise sailing is CCL6. As of Friday morning, Carnival had not announced cancellations for those sailings, though itineraries crossing the central Gulf could still change.

The storm is tracking toward a stretch of coast with no active cruise homeport this week. Carnival Spirit, which sails seven-night Bahamas cruises from Mobile with calls including Key West, is scheduled to begin its fall season from the Alabama port on Oct. 24 after a roughly six-month break, a schedule that for now falls after the storm has cleared.

Highways, bridges and tolls

To help evacuees, the state suspended tolls on the Mid-Bay Bridge and Spence Parkway in Okaloosa County and on the Garcon Point Bridge in Santa Rosa County, according to the governor's office and Florida's Turnpike. The Florida Department of Transportation has asked drivers to expect heavier traffic and to check FL511.com or the FL511 app for road and bridge closures and detours, including on Interstate 10, U.S. 90 and U.S. 98.

FDOT said about 900 staff, 260 pieces of heavy equipment, nearly 1,000 generators and 100 pumps are staged for the storm, and the department has waived size and weight limits for commercial vehicles hauling fuel, emergency equipment and supplies. More than 300 Florida Highway Patrol Quick Response Force troopers are ready to deploy, and troopers are escorting fuel trucks into the region, according to the governor's office. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is arranging fuel for first responders along I-10, including the westbound weigh station at Sneads.

Bridges to barrier islands will close as winds rise. Santa Rosa County said bridges close only when sustained tropical-storm-force winds are observed by FDOT or law enforcement, and that one closure does not mean all bridges will close. Okaloosa County officials said its bridges could close at sustained winds of 40 mph, and Franklin County said its bridges close at 45 mph.

Rail and other connections

Amtrak, which has no regular passenger service across the Panhandle, has canceled its Mardi Gras Service between New Orleans and Mobile through Sunday, Oct. 11, and its New Orleans-to-Atlanta Crescent through Monday, Oct. 12, affecting Florida travelers who use those trains to connect across the Gulf Coast. The Florida Division of Emergency Management is offering free Uber rides to shelters in counties under the state of emergency with the code ISAIAS26.

What visitors should know

The National Weather Service in Tallahassee advised visitors to know the name of the city and county where they are staying and to listen for those locations in local updates. Evacuation orders cover Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key, Navarre Beach, Okaloosa Island, coastal Destin and the South Walton beach communities, and the Navarre Beach Pier is closed Friday and Saturday. County officials have told everyone in those zones, visitors included, to leave. Dangerous surf and rip currents are also expected along Gulf beaches well east and south of the landfall area, including the Big Bend and Tampa Bay.

What's next

Pensacola and Okaloosa County airport officials have said they will reopen only after damage assessments show it is safe, and airlines will post restart schedules once airports set dates. Delta's waiver window runs through Oct. 13, and Southwest allows rebooking within 14 days of the original travel date. Drivers should expect road closures from downed trees and flooding on Saturday, and FDOT and FHP will post reopenings on FL511 as crews clear routes.