Over 1,000 flights faced delays or cancellations on Saturday as airports throughout the U.S. followed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s guidelines to limit flight capacity amid a government shutdown, which is worsening staffing shortages.
Specifically, 1,093 flights were delayed and 805 were canceled, based on data from aviation tracking websites. However, it’s worth noting that these figures don’t differentiate between FAA-mandated reductions and delays caused by weather or maintenance.
The government indicated that the number of flight cuts on Saturday would be less than on Friday, largely because of reduced traffic. For instance, United Airlines has reduced its cancellations to 168 from 184 the previous day. Likewise, Southwest Airlines expects to cut fewer than 100 flights, down from around 120 on Friday.
As of Saturday morning, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) reported the highest number of delays, with 40, plus 10 cancellations. Following closely was Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) with 32 delays and 11 cancellations. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) had only 4 delays but 16 cancellations.
Both JFK and ATL are among 40 airports affected by the FAA’s directive, which has led to significant staff shortages for air traffic controllers.
The volume of flight reductions is projected to increase after a 4% cut on Friday, with all commercial airlines anticipating further cancellations. Flight reductions are expected to grow by 6% on Veterans Day (November 11), 8% by November 13, and 10% by November 14.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy mentioned on Friday that if the ongoing airport closure, which has reached its 39th day, continues, there could be flight reductions of up to 20%.
Notably, Southwest Airlines reported the most delays and cancellations on Saturday morning. They had about 11% of their flights delayed, totaling 383, along with 104 cancellations. United Airlines experienced 62 cancellations and 73 delays, while American Airlines saw 94 delays and 41 cancellations, followed by Delta Airlines with 61 delays and 39 cancellations.
Despite the FAA’s recommendations, American Airlines announced it plans to maintain most of its flight schedule. They stated, “We are avoiding cancellations on long-haul international flights and minimizing cancellations on routes between hubs.”
To assist customers, a travel alert has been implemented to allow flexible options, including penalty-free refunds for those traveling during this disruption.
Earlier this week, American Airlines indicated an expectation of cancelling 220 flights daily. United Airlines and Delta Airlines both stated their cancellations would be under 200 flights, while Southwest Airlines aims to cut about 120 flights daily.
According to Department of Transportation regulations, airlines must refund travelers who are at the airport and unable to reschedule, though individual travelers aren’t entitled to compensation.
On Friday, there were 1,524 cancellations and 24,363 delays, as reported by FlightAware.
FAA Administrator Brian Bedford mentioned that these flight reductions are focused on enhancing safety at the nation’s airports, even as staffing shortages persist, with air traffic controllers being called to work without pay, including overtime during the shutdown.
Bedford stated, “We’re not going to wait for safety issues to become real when early indicators show we can take action today to prevent things from getting worse.”
Mr. Duffy cautioned on Tuesday that if the shutdown isn’t resolved by November 11, the country’s air travel system could become “swamped,” potentially leading to airspace closures.
He added, “It would be disingenuous to say that this closure does not inject additional risks into the system. There are additional risks to the system.”
Moreover, Duffy warned on Thursday that continued shutdown beyond Thanksgiving would pose significant challenges for air travelers.
