According to the US National Hurricane Center (NHC), Ian will head north east, reaching the coast of South Carolina on Friday night (30 September) and central areas of North Carolina on Saturday morning (1 October).
In a hurricane advisory bulletin, the NHC said: "Maximum sustained winds are near 85mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected before Ian reaches the coast later today.
"Rapid weakening is expected after landfall, and Ian is forecast to become an extratropical low over North Carolina tonight or on Saturday (1 October). The low is then expected to dissipate by Saturday night."
Meanwhile, the BBC reports "at least" 10 people have died in Florida after Ian struck on Wednesday, but officials fear the confirmed death toll could rise over the coming days.
As a result of the storm’s impact on airport infrastructure, Tui has cancelled all flights to Melbourne Orlando airport until Saturday (1 October).
Elsewhere, Virgin Atlantic is planning to operate its Orlando International schedule – outbound and inbound – as planned on Friday (30 September).
A spokesperson said: "We are aware of the various infrastructure challenges surrounding Orlando airport, with roads and transport links affected.
"Due to the disruption caused by Hurricane Ian, we may experience some challenges with our operation on the day, such as delayed departures and longer processing times through the airport."
