ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando International Airport reopened at noon Wednesday after closing its doors in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.
Florida's busiest airport released a statement Wednesday stating:
"MCO will resume commercial operations at noon today," the news release said.
The early-morning decision was made after airport management consulted the National Weather Service about prospective wind and weather conditions.
"Noon was determined to be the earliest time Orlando International could reasonably resume normal operations, allowing time for damage assessment, sweeping the airfield for debris, security preparations, staff callbacks for airport and federal agency employees and preparations for ground service equipment," the news release added.
Airlines will begin flight operations late Wednesday afternoon. For more than a week, the major airport monitored Hurricane Dorian as it churned through the Atlantic and began moving toward the Florida peninsula.
The airport encourages passengers to contact their direct airline prior to arriving at the airport to ensure their flights are available.
Hurricane Dorian remains a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph. As of 8 a.m., the storm was located about 95 miles east-northeast of Daytona Beach and 135 miles east-southeast of Jacksonville, according to the National Hurricane Center.