The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that 10% of air traffic at 40 airports will be cut beginning Oct. 7 following the recent government shutdown.
FAA Announces Air Traffic Cuts
Transport Secretary Sean Dean recently announced in a news conference that 10% of flight capacity across 40 major markets will see a reduction following an ongoing shutdown and air traffic controller staff shortages.
Directing more than 44,000 flights and 3 million passengers, cutbacks are expected to affect thousands of flights nationwide, and workers have already reported missed pay cheques.
Airports facing major cutbacks and flight delays include New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Seattle and more.
Cutbacks and Delays at Major Airports
As directed by the FAA, air traffic cuts will be phased in increments from 4% to 10%; however, airports that will begin their cancellations and delays have not been announced.
It is expected that these cuts could affect deliveries with couriers such as UPS and FedEx due to two airports being home to major distribution centres.
Some airlines are offering customers refunds when opting not to fly due to the government shutdown, but a full list of affected airlines has yet to be released.
FAA administrator Bryan Bedford shared that this is the first time he has witnessed such an impactful situation in his 35-year career with the FAA.
Have you been affected by these setbacks? Let us know in the comments below!
