FAA will reduce traffic at 40 major airports across the US starting Friday if government shutdown continues
UPDATE 10:00 PM - ABC News obtained the list of airports, which includes Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson, Boston Logan, all three New York City-area airports, Chicago O'Hare and many others. (See the full list below)
A source told ABC News that the flight reductions will start at 4% on Friday and work up to 10%. The flights impacted by these reductions are scheduled during the hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Full list of airports that will see cuts:
- Anchorage International
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
- Boston Logan International
- Baltimore/Washington International
- Charlotte Douglas International
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
- Dallas Love
- Ronald Reagan Washington National
- Denver International
- Dallas/Fort Worth International
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
- Newark Liberty International
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
- Honolulu International
- Houston Hobby
- Washington Dulles International
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental
- Indianapolis International
- 1New York John F Kennedy International
- Las Vegas McCarran International
- Los Angeles International
- New York LaGuardia
- Orlando International
- Chicago Midway
- Memphis International
- Miami International
- Minneapolis/St Paul International
- Oakland International
- Ontario International
- Chicago O`Hare International
- Portland International
- Philadelphia International
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International
- San Diego International
- Louisville International
- Seattle/Tacoma International
- San Francisco International
- Salt Lake City International
- Teterboro
- Tampa International
Update 4:20 p.m. - Palm Springs International Airport Statement:
Palm Springs International Airport may be impacted by the air traffic reductions announced today in 40 of the nation’s busiest markets. At this time, it is unclear to what extent PSP could be affected. If any impacts arise, PSP will promptly update the community.
Travelers are encouraged to contact their airline directly for the most up-to-date flight information. Additionally travelers may check our Flight Status page.
Airlines do not report specific reasons for cancellations or delays to the airport. Media inquiries regarding the broader air traffic reductions should be directed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or affected airlines.
Jake Ingrassia (he/him) | Communications & Marketing Specialist
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
Originally Published: 05 NOV 25 16:27 ET
Updated: 05 NOV 25 17:33 ET
By Alexandra Skores, Pete Muntean, CNN
Washington (CNN) — The Federal Aviation Administration will reduce flights at dozens of major airports as early as Friday if no shutdown deal is reached, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced at a news conference Wednesday.
Ten percent of air traffic at 40 busy airports would be cut, potentially impacting thousands of flights, though the details of how many and which specific airports will be cut was not announced.
“As we start to implement this draw down in service, it will be restricted to these 40 high volume traffic markets,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. “We’re going to ask the airlines to work with us collaboratively to reduce their schedules.”
The announcement comes as air traffic controller staffing shortages during the shutdown are delaying an increasing number of flights throughout the country. Controllers will miss their second full paycheck next week and some are taking second jobs to make ends meet or calling in sick in protest.
Controllers, like Transportation Security Administration screeners, are considered essential employees and must work during the shutdown, but are not being paid.
The FAA will meet with the airlines to discuss implementation of the new plan Wednesday night. Bedford called the change “prescriptive” and “surgical.”
“We are going to proactively make decisions that keep the airspace safe,” Duffy said.
“We have asked (air traffic controllers) to show up for work, but I’m not naive to understand that they’re trying to figure out how they meet their daily obligations,” Duffy said. “Because of that, we have seen staffing pressures throughout our airspace. Those who travel will see that we’ve had more delays. We’ve had more cancelations.”
More than 400 staffing shortages have been reported at FAA facilites since the start of the shutdown, according to a CNN analysis. The number is more than four times what was seen on the same days last year.
The airlines were notified of the plan only about an hour before it was announced, an airline source told CNN.
“We are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts to passengers and shippers,” Airlines for America, the industry trade group, said in a statement.
Bedford said the new measures would also go beyond commercial airspace and include restrictions on space launches and small aircraft traffic in certain markets.
“I want to applaud the controllers who continue to come to work on a daily basis keeping our system safe,” Bedford said. “But I also want to recognize the fact that the data is telling us we need to do more.”
The-CNN-Wire
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