FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla., Oct. 10, 2026 — Update to our October 9 story. Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Destin on Friday night, putting Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) closest to the center of the storm. The airport was still closed on Saturday morning and has given no reopening time.
What changed since Friday
- Landfall next door: Isaias came ashore near Destin at about 8:30 p.m. CDT Friday as a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. A 116 mph gust was recorded near Santa Rosa Sound.
- Still closed: WEAR-TV, reporting Gov. Ron DeSantis’s Saturday morning briefing, said the airport remained closed. On Saturday the airport’s website still carried its original notice that all operations are closed “until further notice.” Reopening time: TBA.
- How long it has been shut: all operations stopped at 9 p.m. Thursday, October 8. FlightAware showed 78 cancellations at VPS by 12:45 p.m. Friday.
- Shared airfield: VPS is a civilian terminal on Eglin Air Force Base. Eglin flew its airworthy aircraft out on Thursday and put the rest in hangars, AeroCorner reports.
- Local conditions: at 7 a.m. Saturday about 53% of Okaloosa County and 85% of neighboring Walton County were without power. Interstate 10 and U.S. 98 have reopened; smaller roads were still being cleared. The governor planned to tour Okaloosa County damage on Saturday.
- Damage at the airport: no report published. TBA.
Airline waivers
| Airline | Travel dates covered | Rebooking terms |
|---|---|---|
| American | Oct. 9–11 | Change by Oct. 11 for travel Oct. 7–14 |
| Delta | Oct. 9–10 | Fare difference waived for new travel on or before Oct. 13 |
| Southwest | Oct. 8–10 | Rebook or wait for an open seat on another flight within 14 days of the original date |
What it means for travelers
- Treat VPS as unavailable through the weekend until the airport announces otherwise. Landfall was close by, and the airport shares its airfield with the Air Force.
- Use Panama City (ECP) instead. WEAR-TV reports ECP has reopened to commercial flights. Pensacola (PNS) is still closed.
- Expect competition for seats. VPS has lost two full days of flights and counting. Passengers are being rebooked through October 13 or 14 under the waivers, and some may be moved to ECP.
- Driving to another airport: main highways are open, but power is out across much of the area. Fuel up before you set off.
- Confirm before you leave. Check the airport’s website and your airline’s flight status for the first departures.
Sources
- WEAR-TV, “DeSantis: 448,000 without power after Isaias; major Panhandle routes reopen”: weartv.com
- Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, website alert: flyvps.com
- AeroCorner, “Isaias Shuts Pensacola and Destin Airports”: aerocorner.com
- American Airlines, “Travel alerts”: aa.com
- Open Jaw, “Carriers Waive Change Fees as Hurricanes Threaten Gulf Coast, Mexico’s Pacific Coast”: openjaw.com
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