WestJet cancels Calgary-Cancun flights as Hurricane Milton rages

This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken at 12:15 p.m. EDT and provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Milton in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast off Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (NOAA via AP)

WestJet has cancelled a number of flights as Hurricane Milton approaches Florida – including a couple of Calgary trips.

Milton is expected to grow in size and reach the west coast of Florida on Wednesday as a Category 3 storm, with wind speeds between 180-210 km/h.

As a result, WestJet has issued travel advisories for Cancun, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Fort Myers, Tampa and Nassau.

The airline has also proactively cancelled two flights between Calgary and Cancun on Tuesday:

Two other flights between Cancun and Toronto were likewise cancelled on Tuesday.

Multiple other cancellations were announced for Wednesday and Thursday. Visit WestJet's website for a full list of cancelled flights.

WestJet said all affected travellers have been notified.

In addition, recovery flights to support guests affected by Hurricane Milton were scheduled for Wednesday, including two Calgary trips:

Two other recovery flights were scheduled through Toronto.

"We urge our guests to follow all emergency response instructions provided by local authorities," WestJet said in a news release.

"Guests travelling to or from Cancun, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Fort Myers, Tampa and Nassau are also advised to check the status of their flights prior to leaving for the airport."

Any guests with reservations affected by the Milton travel advisories can make changes to their itinerary or cancel flights free of charge by contacting WestJet at:

For air-only bookings through a travel agent, the airline says to contact the travel agent directly.

With files from CTVNews.ca's Luca Caruso-Moro and Lynn Chaya