Flights Slashed At These DC Airports Amid Gov't Shutdown: See Which Ones

By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice

Thousands of flights are expected to be canceled as the Federal Aviation Administration reduces air traffic capacity during the longest government shutdown in US history.

The FAA will begin cutting flight capacity by up to 10% at 40 major airports across the country on Friday, Nov. 7. The agency said it would officially announce the airports on Thursday, Nov. 6, but several media outlets obtained the FAA's list.

The cuts are expected to start at 4% Friday and gradually reach 10%, ABC News reported. Flights scheduled between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. will be affected by the reduction.

Thousands of flights per day could be slashed as air traffic control towers experience widespread staffing issues, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said during a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

"Our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible," said Bedford. "Reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations. This is not based on light airline travel locations. This is about where the pressure is and how to really deviate the pressure."

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on November 4, FlightAware recorded at least 565 flight delays nationwide. Newark Liberty International Airport led the nation with 57 delays.

The FAA's move comes as the 37-day shutdown sets a US record. Tens of thousands of federal workers, including more than 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers, have been working without pay since the shutdown began on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

At a news conference in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned about "mass chaos" if the shutdown continues.

"The longer this goes on, every day, these hard-working Americans have bills they have to pay, and they're being forced to make decisions and choices," said Duffy. "Do they go to work as an air traffic controller, or do they have to find a different job to get resources, money, to put food on their table [or] to put gas in their car? As every day goes by, I think the problem is going to only get worse, not better."

These are the Northeast airports affected by the reduction, according to ABC News:

• Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI)
• Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• LaGuardia Airport (LGA)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)
• Teterboro Airport (TEB)
• Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD)

Bedford said the cuts are intended to reduce the risk of crashes and other issues.

"We're not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating," Bedford said.

Airlines across the country have begun adjusting schedules and policies to limit disruptions.

In a memo to employees, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the company will slash regional and some domestic flights, along with offering customers refunds even on non-refundable or basic economy tickets.

"United's long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted by this schedule reduction direction from the FAA," Kirby said. "That's important to maintain the integrity of our network, give impacted customers as many options as possible to resume their trip, and sustain our crew pairing systems."

Delta Air Lines said it expects to operate the "vast majority" of its flights as scheduled. The company will offer free changes, cancellations, or refunds for impacted customers.

American Airlines said most travel will proceed as planned, but that rebooking options will be available immediately for any canceled flights. Southwest Airlines said most of its flights won't be affected and that international service will continue as usual.

Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle urged travelers to prepare for potential chaos.

"I'm sorry this is happening," Biffle wrote on LinkedIn. "Hopefully the shutdown is over soon. Just giving everyone practical travel advice."

Airlines for America, the trade group representing major US carriers, blasted Congress for not passing a stopgap bill and reopening the government.

"We cannot live shutdown to shutdown, whether it be the millions of SNAP recipients, our dedicated service members or the federal employees on the frontlines of our nation's aviation system," said A4A president Chris Sununu. "Keeping America open should be a patriotic duty, not a partisan divide on Capitol Hill."

AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said that flyers should arrive at the airport extra early to avoid long lines and to avoid checking bags in case a flight gets canceled.

"Ultimately, there’s a lot that’s out of travelers' control — so control what you can, and be as flexible as possible," Diaz told CNBC.

A4A said airlines expect more than 31 million people to fly over the Thanksgiving holiday.