Disruptions Across the Friendly Skies as Shutdown Persists
Air travelers are going to want to pack their patience this weekend. Beginning Friday, the Trump administration is cutting flights at 40 airports across the country as the government shutdown continues. Here is the latest on what airports will be impacted and why this is happening.
Grounded: The Latest on the Mass Flight Cancellations Around the U.S.
An emergency order from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has resulted in the cancellation of thousands of flights over the next few days. Anxious and frustrated travelers arrived at airports around the country on Friday, hoping that their flights would go off as planned.
Several airlines have preemptively canceled flights on Friday and through the weekend as the shutdown persists. The FAA said that the cancellations will increase incrementally as the week progresses due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. Friday's cancellations translate to about 4% of the nation's normal flight load. This percentage will go up to 10% by next Friday if the government does not reopen.
The saving grace is that the cancellations are going to be spread across several cities rather than just one region, as is the case when severe weather strikes. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that the agency is asking airlines to work with them to reduce their flight schedules.
Airports Impacted Across the U.S.
What airports are on the list of impacts? New York City's three major hubs are all impacted, with New York LaGuardia, New York John F. Kennedy International, and Newark Liberty International all reporting disruptions. Elsewhere in the Northeast, Boston Logan International, Philadelphia International, and Teterboro in New Jersey are dealing with cancellations.
Moving to the south, the nation's airspace near the capital is being impacted with cancellations at Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington Dulles International, and Baltimore/Washington International. In the South, impacted airports include Charlotte Douglas International, Dallas Love Field, Dallas-Fort Worth International, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Houston Hobby, George Bush Houston Intercontinental, Memphis International, Orlando International, Miami International, and Tampa International.
Midwest airports on the list include Indianapolis International, Chicago Midway International, Chicago O’Hare International, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County, Louisville International, and Minneapolis-St. Paul International.
In the West, the impacted airports are Denver International, Harry Reid International Airport, Los Angeles International, Oakland International, Ontario International, Portland International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, San Diego International, Seattle/Tacoma International, San Francisco International, and Salt Lake City International. Lastly, both Anchorage International and Honolulu International have also been impacted.
Airlines Respond and Adjust Schedules
The nation's four largest airlines have already cancelled hundreds of flights in an attempt to get ahead of the chaos and rebook passengers. For example, Delta Air Lines confirmed that it had axed about 200 flights on Friday. Most of the flights were regional routes. The airline said that it will cancel approximately 4% of its flights on Saturday and Sunday.
American Airlines complied with the FAA order to cancel 4% of its flights on Friday through Monday. This percentage translates to a loss of about 220 flights each day.
Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle advised travelers to book a backup ticket on another carrier if they had an essential trip in the next 10 days. American, Southwest, Delta, United, and Frontier are allowing passengers to change their tickets at no extra cost. Aviation experts are also advising passengers to book their flights directly through the airline rather than a third-party website. Intentionally avoiding layovers is another helpful strategy to reduce the risk of travel disruptions.
The FAA said that while airlines are required to refund passengers if a flight is cancelled, they are not responsible for covering hotel costs. This follows normal protocols when an airline is not to blame for a delay or cancellation.
Understanding Why the Disruptions Are Happening
The government shutdown entered its 37th day on Friday, making it the longest shutdown in American history. The ongoing shutdown has resulted in thousands of federal employees being required to work without pay. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners are under the umbrella of essential employees who are ordered to report to work despite no paycheck. Some of these workers have been forced to find other sources of income, resulting in skyrocketing numbers of people calling out sick.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, recently noted that air traffic controllers are resigning every day because of the zero paychecks. Over 450 staffing shortages have been confirmed throughout the network of FAA facilities since the beginning of the shutdown.
Daniels told CNN that every day that the shutdown persists results in less safe flying conditions. Federal officials believe that reducing the number of flights will help bring safety back to normal standards.
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