Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Miami International airports are among the 40 across the country that will see flight reductions starting Friday if a deal is not reached to pay air traffic controllers, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by national media outlets.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it will reduce air traffic by 10% across high-volume markets, an extraordinary step being taken as the government shutdown drags into its second month.
Airlines scrambled Thursday to figure out where to cut, and travelers with plans for the weekend and beyond were waiting nervously to see if their flights would take off as scheduled. The affected airports include busy connecting hubs and those in popular tourist destinations, including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando and San Francisco. In some of the biggest metropolitan areas — such as New York, Houston, Chicago and South Florida — multiple airports will be affected.
The FAA had not yet published an official order as of midday Thursday and didn’t immediately respond to questions about implementation details.
But U.S. airlines began canceling hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday; according to the FlightAware tracking site, nearly 500 flights within, into, or out of the United States are canceled on Friday, well above the 140 on Thursday.
The airlines will phase in the cuts at the direction of the FAA, starting with eliminating 4% of flights at the 40 airports on Friday and working up to 10%, according to three people familiar with what the agency said, but who were not authorized to discuss it publicly, the Associated Press reported.
United Airlines will cut 4% of its flights over the weekend based on guidance from the FAA, said company spokesperson Josh Freed.
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood officials on Thursday were advising travelers to stay in touch with their airlines, anticipating that no matter what happens, the airport will be open.
“We are closely monitoring the situation and remain in regular communication with the FAA, our airline partners, and federal agencies,” said Miami International Airport spokesman Greg Chin. “MIA’s operations remain normal, with our focus on maintaining safe, efficient, and reliable service for all passengers and partners.”
Regardless of which airport or airlines passengers are using, all travelers are advised to verify their flight status with their airline or a flight-tracking service such as FlightAware before heading out.
The FAA is slashing flights because of the shutdown. Here’s what travelers can expect
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the step was needed to alleviate the strain being put on the system by the shutdown. Air traffic controllers have been forced to take side jobs as they work without pay, he said.
Experts predict that hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled, The Associated Press reported.
“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” Bryan Bedford, administrator of the FAA, said Wednesday. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”
Major carriers like United, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said they would offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly, even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable.
South Florida-based Spirit Airlines is advising customers to monitor their flight status using the Spirit app or website. “While we are closely monitoring the situation, we expect to operate the vast majority of our flights,” the website advisory says. “We will work to minimize any impacts to our Guests.”
Spirit is offering customers two options if a flight is canceled: a full refund or a rebooking on the next available Spirit flight.
Southwest Airlines advised passengers they will be notified if their flight is canceled, and in most cases, they will be automatically rebooked on the next available flight. Refunds will be available to those with flight cancellations who choose not to travel.
“We know that these FAA-imposed cancellations could impact an important moment in your life,” the airline wrote in a social media post. “We appreciate your understanding.”
Other airlines issued similar advisories. United Airlines noted that its long-haul international flights will not be affected by the slowdown, saying the focus is on regional and domestic flights.
The uncertainty of the flight reductions was enough to cause Laura Adams to ditch plans of flying altogether for the holidays later in the month.
Adams lives in Vero Beach, and typically flies with her husband for Thanksgiving with his family in Fair Hope, Alabama. They’ll now make a 10-hour drive instead.
“We really felt quite uneasy and just didn’t want to risk having a flight cancellation or a delay or getting stuck,” said Adams. “It just seems really risky.”
Though she’s not a fan of long car trips, she’s resigned herself to it, even if the shutdown ends and flights are restored.
Joseph Trainor, 55, who shuttles between New York and his home in Boynton Beach every week, canceled his flights for next week — and is looking to book multiple backup routes farther down the road, in case future trips land on the chopping block.
“I’m afraid the flights I’m on are going to cancel,” he said. “It’s going to cause a cascading effect throughout the system.”
Even with the safeguards of additional reservations, Trainor knows cancellations can ripple through the system and affect him anyway. Still, he’s thinking about the Transportation Security Administration agents who have been going without pay in a shutdown that entered its 38th day on Thursday.
“They’re the heroes keeping the system going, and I don’t know if the government realizes how much air traffic and our economy is based on that,” Trainor said.
Air traffic controllers received a partial check on Oct. 14 and missed their first full paycheck on Oct. 28, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Transportation Safety Administration officers have also been working without pay. Union officials say they TSA agents are committed to showing up to work, though some have been forced to turn to food pantries for help during the shutdown.
Other Florida airports on the list include Tampa International Airport. Palm Beach International Airport is ranked as 51 in terms of passenger traffic in the United States, and is not on the list of airports targeted for flight reductions.
Airports impacted by government shutdown
1. Anchorage International in Alaska
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
7. Dallas Love Field in Texas
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
9. Denver International in Colorado
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
14. Honolulu International in Hawaii
15. Houston Hobby in Texas
16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia
17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas
18. Indianapolis International in Indiana
19. John F. Kennedy International in New York
20. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
21. Los Angeles International in California
22. LaGuardia Airport in New York
23. Orlando International in Florida
24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois
25. Memphis International in Tennessee
26. Miami International in Florida
27. Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota
28. Oakland International in California
29. Ontario International in California
30. Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois
31. Portland International in Oregon
32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
34. San Diego International in California
35. Louisville International in Kentucky
36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
37. San Francisco International in California
38. Salt Lake City International in Utah
39. Teterboro in New Jersey
40. Tampa International in Florida
Source: The Associated Press
