Live Updates: Flight Cuts Begin Across U.S. as Shutdown Hits Air Travel
The Trump administration ordered the cuts as the government shutdown leaves air traffic controllers working without pay. Disruptions at major airports appeared limited for now.
TIME IN SHUTDOWN
37 days, 11 hours, 2 minutes
Pinned
A wave of flight cancellations hit the United States on Friday, bringing home the effects of the government shutdown to many more Americans, though major airports appeared to be working largely as normal in the morning.
The cuts were announced by Federal Aviation Administration this week to limit air traffic as the shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, leaves air traffic controllers working without pay. Major airlines said that most customers would not be affected and that travelers who wanted to change or cancel a flight for a refund could do so. International flights were virtually unaffected.
By 6 a.m. on the East Coast, around 3 percent of flights departing from U.S. airports today had been canceled, according to Cirium, an aviation data firm. Around 25,400 flights had been scheduled to depart, the company said. Some of the most affected routes include shuttle flights in the Northeast, flights inside Florida and trips between Dallas and smaller regional centers.
Not surprisingly, the carriers with the most cancellations on Friday are three of the biggest: American Airlines (221 flights canceled), United (184) and Delta (173), according to Cirium.
Airlines took a surgical approach to cutting flights, with many of the cancellations focused on short-distance routes, according to Cirium. The disruption so far is relatively light: If the numbers hold, Friday would be the 72nd worst day for cancellations since the start of last year, Cirium said.
Atlanta’s main airport seemed considerably busier than usual at 5:30 a.m. Still, lines were moving freely. Staff members told me that so far, it felt like any other morning.
Airports that will be affected by flight reductions
Frontier Airlines’ chief executive, Barry Biffle, wrote on social media Thursday that if passengers have somewhere they need to be in the coming days — like a funeral or wedding — they should consider buying a backup ticket that is refundable or changeable on a different carrier.
“Carriers like Frontier will be putting you on the next available flight but that may not be until after your event due to the scale of this disruption,” he wrote.
If your flight is canceled or delayed, here’s what you can do.
Bryan Dick was able to book a new flight home to Phoenix from LaGuardia after learning on Thursday night that his original flight had been canceled. Dick is an electrical engineer and frequent flyer who was in New York for three day for a conference. He is considering canceling a work trip in December if the shutdown drags on.
LaGuardia Airport in New York is bustling this early Friday morning. On the flight board, only one bound for Oklahoma City was marked as canceled, in red type.
It’s just before 6 a.m. on the East Coast, and more than 815 flights have already been canceled, according to flightaware.com. For comparison, around 200 total flights were canceled on Thursday. Airports around the country have reported cancellations.
Many were concentrated in hubs, including Chicago O’Hare International (40), Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta (38), Denver International (31), Dallas-Fort Worth International (31), Los Angeles International (27) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International (27). Not all the cancellations are necessarily due to the F.A.A. plan. FlightAware data does not break down international and domestic flights.
The Federal Administration Aviation’s mandated cuts to air traffic at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports have the potential to scramble travel plans, thwart vacations, disrupt routines and, in general, pose an all-around nuisance to Americans.
Maybe you are one of those affected. Or if not, you might know someone who is. If your flight has been canceled on Nov. 7 or later, our team covering air travel wants to hear from you. Tell us how your plans have been affected, what you’re seeing at airports and how airlines are reacting.
After the Trump administration announced it would cut 10 percent of air traffic at 40 of the busiest airports in the country, airlines, airports and travelers are scrambling to adjust their plans.
With barely 10 hours to go before the Federal Aviation Administration’s planned air traffic reductions were set to take effect, the Trump administration publicly shared a list of the 40 airports that will be affected, starting with a 4 percent reduction in traffic over the course of Friday.
Those cuts would deepen next week until they reach the 10 percent level on Nov. 14, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and F.A.A. Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement Thursday evening."
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