How will Tropical Storm Debby affect air travel in and out of Myrtle Beach? What we know

Are you curious how tropical storm Debby will impact air travel at the Myrtle Beach International Airport?

We reached out to the major airlines that have flights scheduled to and from Myrtle Beach, as well as the airport itself to see how this storm will impact things.

“The Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) team and Horry County Emergency Management are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Debby; however, it’s important to note that MYR intends to remain open and operate normally,” airport spokeswoman Lauren Wehrung said in a statement to The Sun News. “The Airport and County are experienced and well prepared for adverse weather events, and we will work closely with all our partners to ensure continued safe operations for travelers and employees.“

Ultimately, Wehrung said it’s up to the individual airlines to decide whether to cancel flights, not the airport as a whole.

“Although it’s still early to know the full extent of storm or weather-related impacts to flights operating at MYR, some flights have been delayed and/or canceled as of Monday afternoon,” she said. “Travelers are strongly encouraged to verify their flight status with their respective airline prior to arriving at the airport.”

According to data from FlightAware, as of 3:39 p.m. on Monday, there were 27 flights canceled at the Myrtle Beach International Airport within the past 24 hours.

That same data showed that on Sunday, the airport had 363 departing flights.

What have airlines said about Tropical Storm Debby?

Spirit Airlines has already released a travel advisory for all flights, to, from or through MYR from Aug. 5 through Aug. 7.

This means that travelers with Spirit Airline tickets can change their flights with the fare difference waived from now until Aug. 14, according to airline officials.

American Airlines has issued a similar advisory and has canceled all flights through the Gainsville, Sarasota and Tallahasee airports in Florida.

“American Airlines is monitoring the track of Hurricane Debby and has issued a travel alert allowing customers whose travel plans are affected to rebook without change fees,” spokesman Frankie McLister said via email. “American will continue tracking this system with our customers’ and team members’ safety top of mind.”

Southwest has also issued a travel advisory from Monday through Wednesday at MYR, and have relaxed their fare rules for customers traveling through affected areas.

“We are experiencing some impacts to our operation as a result of Hurricane Debby, as well as other weather and Air Traffic Control (ATC) delays along the East Coast,” Southwest Spokesman Chris Mainz said via email. “We apologize to our Customers for any inconvenience they might experience while traveling with us.”

For those traveling on United, its media team said in an email to The Sun News on Monday afternoon that the company has implemented its waiver program as well.

All passengers flying to or from Hilton Head Island, Myrtle Beach, Columbia or Charleston between Aug. 5 to Aug. 7 can switch their flights and United will cover any fare differences or extra fees.

“We are closely monitoring Hurricane Debby,” the media team said via email. “We encourage our customers who are traveling to, from or through areas that could be affected by Hurricane Debby to take advantage of our waiver policies in place.”

All of the above listed airlines also had travel advisories in place for the Charleston Airport, south of the Myrtle Beach Area.

What about rental cars in the Myrtle Beach area?

Alamo rental cars at the Myrtle Beach airport said they are sold out of cars today, but there is a possibility for an opening on Tuesday.

Avis at the Myrtle Beach airport said they were also all out of rental cars on Monday.

Budget was unable to pick up their local phone due to the high number of in-person request, according to their automated voicemail system.

This story was originally published August 5, 2024 at 12:33 PM.

Elizabeth Brewer

The Sun News

828-237-1377

Elizabeth covers local government and politics in Myrtle Beach and holds truth to power as the accountability reporter. She’s lived in five states and holds a masters degree in Journalism.