Starting Friday, airports will follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) directive to reduce flights as a result of the government shutdown, affecting air travel for millions of Americans.
FAA is reduced flight capability At 40 “high-traffic” airports, FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said Wednesday. it Involved John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Logan International Airport in Boston, Los Angeles International Airport and Denver International AirportAccording to the Department of Transport (DOT) on Thursday, the cut will start at 4 per cent on Friday and will eventually increase to 10 per cent by November 14. News release,
Bedford said this will keep passengers safe. In a statement, the FAA said it would slow traffic at some airports “to ensure safe operations” as a result of “increasing staffing shortages.”
At least 1,800 flights and 268,000 seats may be affected.The Associated Press reportedCiting an estimate from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Airlines will also be affected, including American Airlines. According to a statement obtained by The Hill’s sister network NewsNation, the airline will reduce flight schedules at those 40 airports by 4 percent between Friday and Saturday, resulting in the cancellation of 220 flights a day.
“Even with these cancellations, we plan to operate approximately 6,000 daily flights. We are continuing to communicate with affected customers,” the airline said. “Disrupting customers’ plans is the last thing we want to do, and we have issued travel waivers.”
The airline praised federal aviation workers working without pay, but said it is unacceptable.
“We once again urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate solution to end the shutdown,” the airline said.
Southwest Airlines is evaluation of How the FAA directive will affect its flights. Delta Air Lines intends to operate most flights “as planned, including all long-haul international service, and our teams are working hard to minimize any impact to your travel while keeping safety our top priority,” the airline said in a statement. statementMeanwhile, United Airlines said its flights “have been adjusted.”
“If your flight is affected, you will automatically be rebooked on a different flight and notified through the United app, https://united.com Or a text, “United said“If you want to change that flight, you can do so in the United app or on https://united.com.”
Delta said long-haul international flights should not be affected. United will continue to operate long-haul international flights at seven airports, including Newark Liberty Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston and Dulles International Airport in the Washington, DC area.
Passengers can contact their airline’s customer service representatives by phone, email or directly through the airline’s account on the social platform X. People with canceled or delayed flights can still contact Request a Refund Under protection by DoT, which remains in effect even amid the shutdown.
American, Delta and United will offer refunds for passengers who choose not to fly, while Southwest said it would offer refunds as of Wednesday.
Additionally, passengers can keep track of their flight status online or through third-party websites and apps, including flight Awareor by checkingFAA’s National Airspace System Status,
Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle said travelers should also have a back-up plan.
“If you’re going to a wedding, funeral or anything else you need to go somewhere in the next few days – given the risk of flights being cancelled, I would suggest travelers purchase a backup ticket on another carrier that departs after the first ticket,” Biffle said in a statement. Instagram Post. “That way if your flight gets canceled you’ll have an immediate backup.”
