Fewer passengers flew in and out of Charleston International Airport in September due to tropical weather. Four of CHS’s six airlines experienced travel trouble for up to a week because of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.

Southwest and United cancelled flights in and out of Houston after Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast. A few weeks later, American Airlines and JetBlue Airways faced airport closures and cancellations in Fort Lauderdale and Miami due to Hurricane Irma. Charleston International Airport was closed for a day when Hurricane Irma passed through the Lowcountry, affecting all six airlines there.

“Leading up to and in the wake of these storms it took some of our airlines up to a week to return to normal operations to those cities hit hardest,” said Paul G. Campbell, Jr., executive director and CEO of the Charleston County Aviation Authority. “We experienced similar declines in passengers here in Charleston when Hurricane Matthew came through in October 2016.”

Campbell is confident that 2017 will be another recording-breaking year. “We are on track to reach or top 4 million passengers this year. October passenger numbers are expected to be up, and with the busy holiday travel season just around the corner, we will stay busy through the end of the year.”