U.S. flight cancellations begin after FAA shutdown order

U.S. airlines began canceling hundreds of flights on Friday, just hours after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered disruptions amid the more than month-long government shutdown.

The cuts were made because air traffic controllers missed paychecks due to the government shutdown, now the longest cut in U.S. history. A shortage of air traffic control personnel is disrupting flights at many major U.S. airports, frustrating both passengers and airline executives.

Sudden flight disruptions this week have left airlines scrambling to make schedule adjustments and make sure crews are where they need to be despite last-minute changes.

According to aviation data firm Cirium, more than 700 U.S. flights were canceled as of 9 a.m. Friday morning; this accounts for approximately 3% of the total schedule for the day. Disruption of this scale is quite common for routine disruptions such as major storms, but the Department for Transport has warned cancellations could increase.

According to the FAA’s instructions, flight disruptions will increase to 10% next week, with 4% on Friday, 6% on Tuesday, 8% on Thursday and finally 10% on November 14.

The disruptions occurred at a time when demand for travel is typically low ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, but still left many travelers looking for alternatives. rental car company Hertz He said bookings for one-way rentals in the last two days were up more than 20% compared to the same period last year.

Major airlines said the disruptions were largely caused by regional flights flying to smaller cities. United AirlinesFor example, it said its hub-to-hub flights and long-haul international flights will not be canceled due to the order.

American Airlines 221 flights were canceled on Friday, according to CEO Robert Isom, who said the airline was “frustrated” by the reduction.

Isom said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that the airline is working to ensure flights to all destinations continue, but the frequency of those flight routes has decreased.

“What we did today was try to minimize the impact on all our customers; there are only 220 flights out of 6,200, and we did it in a way that really impacts our smaller aircraft,” Isom said. “That level of cancellation is going to increase over time, and that’s something that’s going to be problematic.”

Airlines offered passengers alternative flights and waived change fees for affected customers.

AAA spokeswoman Aixa Diaz said the company recommends arriving at the airport 2 hours early to avoid long lines and checking bags if possible in case flights are canceled, but flexibility will be the most important thing for all travelers during this period.

Here is the list of affected airports, according to FAA and DOT rankings:

(The airport in Las Vegas was renamed Harry Reid International Airport in 2021.)