US airlines cancel thousands of flights ahead of hurricane matthew

As Hurricane Matthew bears down on the southeastern US, residents of coastal communities in the south are not the only ones preparing their next move, the ABC News reported.

Airlines and airports are working around the clock to weather the storm and ensure a quick restoration of schedules. In an extremely rare move, one airport has decided to close.

More than 2,700 flights have been canceled between Wednesday and Friday as of Thursday morning, according to FlightAware.com -- including more than 1,500 flights today and 1,200 tomorrow.

Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has closed its doors -- the first time at this airport since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. After it reopens, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will have to sanitize and re-certify the airport since there will be minimal, if any, security while it's closed.

Miami International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport plan to remain open, but commercial scheduled flights have come to a halt.

Source: MENA