Flight cancellations top 2,000 as Hurricane Ian nears Florida

More than 2,000 flights into, within or out of the U.S. were canceled as of mid-morning Wednesday as Hurricane Ian prepares to make landfall in Florida, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

By the numbers: Florida's Orlando International Airport had canceled at least 316 scheduled departure flights as well as 385 arrival flights, per the tracker.

• Meanwhile, Miami International Airport had canceled 234 departures and another 211 arrivals, and Tampa International Airport had tallied 178 canceled departures and 178 arrivals.

The big picture: Another 1,600 flights scheduled for Thursday have also been canceled, CNN reported.

• Several major airports in Florida, as well as some smaller airfields, announced plans to close in anticipation of Ian's landfall.
• Tampa International Airport suspended all operations on Tuesday, while Orlando International Airport will cease commercial operations at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
• American Airlines issued a travel alert on Monday for 20 airports in the western Caribbean and Florida, allowing affected customers to change their travel plans without the usual accompanying fees.
• Delta Airlines also issued a travel alert for 16 airports in Florida impacted by the hurricane with rebooking options for affected customers.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details.