UK holidaymakers able to return home after Hurricane Milton devastation

UK holidaymakers will be able to fly out of Florida from Friday as airports are preparing to resume operations as normal after Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction across the state.

Virgin Atlantic, British Airways and Tui were among the airlines to have cancelled flights between the UK and Florida due to the category 3 hurricane, and a number of airports in Florida closed commercial operations.

Arriving just two weeks after the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene, the system knocked out power to more than three million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane.

Five people were killed in tornadoes in the Spanish Lakes Country Club near Fort Pierce, on the state’s Atlantic Coast, where homes were destroyed. Police also found a woman dead under a fallen tree branch in Tampa.

In Volusia County, authorities said two people, a 79-year-old woman in Ormond Beach and a 54-year-old woman in Port Orange, were also killed when trees fell on homes.

Orlando International Airport said departures and international operations would resume on Friday, after domestic arrivals resumed on Thursday evening.

Tampa International Airport announced it would “try and reopen to the public” on Friday morning following a three-day flight suspension, while Melbourne Orlando plans to reopen on Friday morning “pending safe conditions”.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said the airline is planning to continue operations as normal from Friday as airports reopen to international passengers.

It will operate an additional service from Orlando to London Heathrow departing on Friday evening, “to ensure our customers can return home as soon as possible”, the spokesperson said.

They added: “The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is always our top priority and following Hurricane Milton, our teams are working hard to assess the impact of the storm on the region.

“Our teams on the ground are in contact with hotels and accommodation providers and we are contacting Virgin Atlantic Holidays customers whose holidays may be impacted to discuss their options.”

The service urged travellers to check the Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays website for the latest updates as it continues to work through the impact of Hurricane Milton.

Tui gave its latest update on Thursday morning, when it said that two of its Wednesday flights would fly back to the UK on Thursday instead, while one flight to Manchester Airport will fly as scheduled on Friday.

The travel company advised British tourists already in Florida to follow any instructions given by their hotel management and resort teams for their safety and wellbeing.

It added: “Tropical storms and hurricanes are not uncommon in the area and our hotels and resort teams are experienced in preparing for them.”

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: “We urge all British nationals in Florida, or travelling to the region, to read the FCDO travel advice, as well as guidance from local authorities.”

PA has contacted British Airways for comment.