Airlines take action as Gustav approaches

A number of the United States' major airlines have announced extraordinary measures that have been put in place to deal with the impact of Hurricane Gustav, which is currently approaching America's southern coast.

The storm has already passed over the Caribbean region and is now gathering strength over the Gulf of Mexico.

It is predicted that Gustav could hit New Orleans, Louisiana at around midday local time on September 1st and could be even more damaging than Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the city three years ago.

Continental Airlines is one of the carriers helping evacuation efforts, adding larger aircraft and additional flights to and from New Orleans on August 30th, providing space for around 1,200 additional travellers over the weekend.

The airline warned that the severe weather will force cancellations at a number of airports in Louisiana and the neighbouring states of Mississippi and Texas.

Continental, Delta and most other carriers operating in the region informed passengers that they may make changes to their travel plans for the coming week without penalty or fees.

Some 1.9 million people are thought to have left Louisiana in one of the largest evacuations in the state's history. The handful of residents who are still in the area were warned that the storm could carry winds of up to 115mph and create storm surges 14ft above normal levels.

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