Why over 1,000 flights were canceled this week – and what it means for holiday travel
Anxious travelers across the United States felt some relief Friday as airlines mostly stuck to their schedules while cutting more than 1,000 flights, largely because of the government shutdown.
However, a lot of nervousness remains, as more flights will be canceled next week to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce service at the nation’s busiest airports.
The order follows air traffic controllers – who have not been paid for nearly a month as the shutdown drags on – calling for unemployment in greater numbers due to financial pressure.
Although some passengers had to make contingency plans and book rental cars, the canceled flights Friday represented only a small portion of overall flights nationwide.
Passengers still faced last-minute cancellations and long lines at security checks at the 40 airports targeted by the slowdown, including major hubs Atlanta, Dallas, Denver and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Airlines expect limited disruptions this weekend and have stressed that international flights are not expected to be affected.
But if the shutdown persists much longer and more controllers call in unemployment after missing their second paycheck Tuesday, the number of cancellations could rise from the initial 10% reduction in flights to 15 or 20%, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday on Fox News.
Long queues and, for some, long journeys
Those who showed up before sunrise Friday at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport found security lines that barely moved, prompting some people to lie down while waiting.
“It meandered through all the different parts of the regular zone,” Cara Bergeron said after flying from Houston to Atlanta. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Others were less fortunate.
Karen Soika of Greenwich, Connecticut, discovered that her flight from Newark, New Jersey had been booked an hour early. She then learned that her plane was taking off from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, at least an hour away.
Dr. Soika, a surgeon, tried unsuccessfully to book a rental car to go to Utah for a weekend before settling on an option that seemed straight from Hollywood.
“I’m going to U-Haul and I’m going to drive a truck across the country,” said Dr. Soika, who there advises on medical scenes for a spinoff of the television series “Yellowstone.” Hertz reported a sharp increase in one-way car rentals.
Airlines scramble to rebook passengers
More than 1,000 flights were canceled nationwide Friday, five times the number canceled Thursday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.
Reagan National Airport was hit the hardest with at least 18% of its arrivals – 81 flights – canceled Friday. Major hubs O’Hare, Atlanta, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth round out the top five airports in terms of cancellations, but those airports only lost about 3% of their flights.
Not all cancellations were due to the FAA’s order, and United and American airlines said they were able to quickly rebook most travelers. Airlines have focused their cuts on smaller regional routes to airports where they operate several flights per day, helping to minimize the number of passengers affected.
Delta Air Lines said it cut about 170 flights Friday, while American planned to cut 220 flights each day through Monday. Southwest Airlines cut about 120 flights Friday.
The FAA said reductions affecting all commercial airlines start at 4% of flights at the busiest airports and will increase to 10% in the coming week.
“I just don’t want to be stuck in the airport sleeping on a bench,” Michele Cuthbert, of Columbus, Ohio, said of an upcoming flight to Dallas. “Everyone is paying the price for current politics. We are just collateral damage.”
If the shutdown continues, there could be further impacts before the holidays.
Nearly half of all U.S. air cargo is shipped in the holds of passenger planes, so the disruption could increase the costs of shipping goods, said Patrick Penfield, a professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.
“Air transportation is part of the basic infrastructure of the American economy,” said Greg Raiff, CEO of consulting firm Elevate Aviation Group. “This closure is going to impact everything from cargo planes to people going to business meetings to tourists who may be traveling.”
Why is this happening?
The FAA said the cuts are necessary to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers. Many are working six days a week with mandatory overtime, and a growing number of people have begun to complain of financial pressure and exhaustion.
“I don’t want to see any disruptions. I don’t want to see any delays,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just outside Washington.
The FAA order comes as the Trump administration steps up pressure on congressional Democrats to end the shutdown.
Ending the government shutdown would improve the situation for controllers, but the FAA said the flight reductions would remain in place until their safety data improves.
Denver International Airport is working to fill that void, creating a food pantry for its federal employees and asking the FAA for permission to use airport revenue to pay controllers’ salaries. The airport said Friday it had not yet received a response from the FAA.
What can airlines and travelers do?
Airlines are in uncharted territory, said Kerry Tan, a professor at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore who has studied the industry.
“The uncertainty associated with the government shutdown makes it difficult for airlines to rationally plan their response and optimize their flight operations,” Ms Tan said.
Carriers are required to reimburse customers whose flights are canceled, but not to cover costs such as food and hotel, unless a delay or cancellation results from a factor within the airlines’ control, according to the Transportation Department.
Christina Schlegel, who booked a flight to Florida on Wednesday before a cruise to the Bahamas, said her husband suggested they drive if their flight was canceled, but she preferred to try another flight or airport.
Ms. Schlegel, a travel consultant from Arlington, Va., advised her clients not to panic, watch their flights and arrive at the airport early.
“People should really ask themselves, ‘What else can I do?’ “, she said. “‘Can I already search for other potential flights? What other flights are available?’ Have this information in your back pocket.
This story was reported by the Associated Press. AP reporters Charlotte Kramon in Atlanta; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Matt Sedensky and Charles Sheehan in New York; Paul Wiseman in Washington and Ted Shaffrey in New Jersey contributed.
