FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla., Oct. 9, 2026 — Update to our October 8 story. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) has been closed since 9 p.m. Thursday and every Friday flight is cancelled. Since then Hurricane Isaias has grown to Category 3, and the forecast landfall zone now ends at the airport’s own stretch of coast. A reopening time has not been set.
What changed since yesterday
- The closure took effect. All airport operations stopped at 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, October 8. The airport’s website still says the closure runs “until further notice.”
- All Friday flights are cancelled, the Associated Press reports.
- The storm is stronger. Isaias was a hurricane with winds of about 80 mph when we published on Thursday. On Friday morning it was a Category 3 with 120 mph winds, the National Hurricane Center said. Some weakening is forecast before landfall.
- The landfall forecast has narrowed. The AP reports landfall is expected late Friday between Mobile Bay, Alabama, and Choctawhatchee Bay, Florida. The Destin-Fort Walton Beach area is at the eastern end of that zone.
- Pensacola has closed too. Pensacola International (PNS) shut its terminal at 10 a.m. Friday and expects to reopen Saturday or Sunday.
- After landfall: the storm is forecast to weaken to a tropical storm by Saturday afternoon as it moves inland.
Key dates
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
| VPS closed | 9 p.m. Thursday, October 8 |
| Forecast landfall | Late Friday, October 9, or early Saturday, October 10 |
| VPS reopening | TBA |
| Delta waiver: rebook and travel by | October 13 |
| Southwest: rebook or stand by within | 14 days of the original travel date |
American, Delta and Southwest all list VPS in their Isaias waivers for travel on October 9 and 10.
What it means for non-revs
- Do not count on VPS this weekend. Unlike Pensacola, the airport has given no target day for reopening. It has to be inspected after the storm passes before flights can return.
- Watch for the reopening notice, then wait a day if you can. The first flights back will carry two days of displaced revenue passengers.
- Loads stay heavy into next week. Waivers let revenue passengers rebook as late as October 13 on Delta and for 14 days on Southwest.
- Nearby airports will not rescue you. PNS is closed, and Mobile (MOB) and Panama City (ECP) each lost more than 60% of Friday’s flights.
- If you are already in the area, follow county evacuation orders first. The terminal is not a storm shelter.
Sources
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport: flyvps.com closure notice
- NBC Chicago (Associated Press): Hurricane Isaias to make landfall Friday night on northern Gulf Coast
- CBS12: Florida prepares for Category 3 Isaias: Evacuations ordered, shelters open, crews deployed
- WEAR-TV: Pensacola International Airport terminal to close Friday morning ahead of Isaias
- Travel Market Report: Hurricane Isaias Takes Aim at Gulf Coast: Airline Waivers, Airport Closures, and Cruise Updates
- Delta Air Lines: Hurricane Isaias advisory
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