BTR still idle after Isaac; first flights may resume later today

It’s all quiet out at the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport this afternoon. “We’re open, but that doesn’t mean the airlines are going to fly,” says airport spokesman Jim Caldwell, adding that no flights have arrived or departed from Baton Rouge today. “Right now, the next flights scheduled are an inbound US Airways flight from Charlotte [N.C] at 5:30 [p.m.], and an outbound back to Charlotte at 6:15 [p.m.]” Delta has canceled its “last three or four flights” that were to arrive in Baton Rouge later this evening, Caldwell says. United Airlines, meanwhile, still has two flights scheduled to arrive at BTR at 8:30 and 10 p.m. “Those account for two originating flights tomorrow morning, so hopefully they will arrive as scheduled,” Caldwell says. “Tomorrow should be fairly normal, except we won’t have a few early-morning flights due to the ones that don’t come in tonight.” The airport is providing flight status updates on its website here, but Caldwell says anyone who expects to use the airport should confirm the flight with their airline “right up until they time they’re going to leave for the airport,” as the flight schedule is subject to change. “It’s the weather between Baton Rouge and the various hub cities that’s the problem right now,” he says. The airport experienced some minor debris damage and downed limbs, Caldwell says, but emerged from Isaac relatively unscathed. —Steve Sanoski