What airports are being hit by FAA cutbacks? How can I navigate the chaos?
The Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to reduce commercial air traffic at 40 airports by up to 10% starting Friday is expected to have far-reaching effects in California and across the country.
The outages were caused by a government shutdown that left air traffic controllers working without pay. FAA officials say the goal is to protect travel safety. Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay or calling in sick since the shutdown began Oct. 1.
With fatigue increasing among controllers, Transport Minister Sean Duffy said he did not want to wait for staff pressures to compromise safety.
What will change?
As many as 1,800 flights a day could be canceled across the country.
The outages could affect about 1,800 flights and 268,000 passengers per day in the U.S., according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. At Los Angeles International Airport alone, approximately 72 flights per day could be disrupted, affecting 12,371 passengers per day, according to Cirium’s estimate. Another 105 flights could be canceled at four other California airports where reductions are targeted.
Which airports will be affected?
The FAA had no public comment. But here’s a list from the Associated Press:
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, Texas
18. Indianapolis International in Indiana
19. John F. Kennedy International, 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, 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, New Jersey
40. Tampa International in Florida
When will declines begin to be seen?
The shortage of air traffic controllers caused weeks of delays, including at LAX and Burbank airports. However, officials said flight discounts will begin on Friday and continue until the 10% cut is reached.
Authorities asked passengers to check the status of their flights with their airlines but warned that flights could be canceled with little notice.
- The FAA has a website that tracks national airspace issues
- Experts recommend monitoring your airline websites and getting alerts on your phone.
- Here’s more tips.
Officials said the decision to cut flights was driven by data on which areas face the greatest staffing pressures that could compromise safety.
“It doesn’t depend on which airline has more flights from which location,” Duffy said. “It’s about where the pressure is and how do we relieve the pressure?”
What about international flights?
International flights are expected to be exempt from disruptions. But passengers taking connecting flights before heading abroad may face problems as the outages target some of the country’s busiest hubs, including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando and Miami.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
