Morning Rundown: What to know about today’s flight cuts, a judge orders SNAP to be fully funded, and the contenders to replace Nancy Pelosi
Dozens of airports across the country will see fewer flights amid staffing shortages as the government shutdown drags on.
The nation’s four largest airlines are already canceling hundreds of flights across 40 airports as the government shutdown drags on, forcing air travel to be slashed as workers are expected to do their jobs without pay.
“I think the government is playing with people’s lives,” one frustrated traveler told NBC News. Another said the situation is overwhelming and unfair — especially to those who are working.
The FAA has said today will be the first day on which 4% of flights are cut to ease the burden on air traffic controllers. If the shutdown continues, flight cancellations will jump to six percent on Tuesday and 10 percent by next Friday.
The airlines have been offering refunds or vouchers to those whose flights are canceled, and said they are working as quickly as possible to notify travelers whose flights are affected.
If you’re traveling soon, check the status of your flight with your airline.
The Department of Transportation has mandated that all airlines must issue full refunds to customers impacted. Thus far, the major airlines say they’ll alert customers about cancellations, offer rebooking options, and offer refunds whether or not your flight is impacted.
People wait in the Terminal-A lobby at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport on Thursday in Houston, Texas. Brandon Bell / Getty Images
A routine journey to the skies may result in long lines and a change of plans as airlines abide by a Federal Aviation Administration order to cut flights by 4% in high traffic airports starting Friday.
The cuts are building up to a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 locations, designed to ease pressure points and address fatigue among air traffic controllers as the government shutdown drags on.
Here’s how the reductions, delays and cancellations, are unfolding.
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After the FAA said it will cut flights by as much as 10% at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, some passengers at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, said they were frustrated. “I think the government is playing with people’s lives, because this is manufactured and it’s political,” one passenger told WRC’s Adam Tuss.
Given that air traffic controllers don’t know when their next paycheck will hit, Nick Daniels, the president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said “hundreds” of his union members have taken up side gigs amid the shutdown. And that number is “growing rapidly,” he added.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said that airlines have been helping bridge that financial gap for controllers by providing meals at no cost. But it shouldn’t be up to airlines to ensure that the country’s air traffic controllers are being fed, he added.
“They have to make choices, and the choices they’re making is to take a second job,” Duffy said last month. “Well, I don’t want my air traffic controllers to take a second job. I want them to do one job.”
But while added side gigs have left air traffic controllers exhausted, Daniels said he is not concerned about safety issues — even if risk is heightened daily during the shutdown. He said officials will control the number of planes in the sky and restrict air traffic when necessary to accommodate workers’ needs and ensure travelers reach their destinations safely.
Read the full story here.
As of 3.30 a.m. ET this morning 815 flights into, within or out of the United States were canceled, according to Flightaware. The tracking site doesn’t provide reasons for cancelations and delays and some may not be the result of the FAA reductions.
Travelers are bracing for widespread flight delays after the FAA announced it will begin cutting the number of flights in and out of 40 “high-traffic” airports today.
The FAA is requiring 4% of flights to be cut and that will gradually increase to 10% by next Friday.
Hundreds of today’s flights had already been canceled by yesterday afternoon, according to the airlines. American had canceled 220 flights, United 188, Southwest about 100 and Delta 170.
At Chicago O’Hare, one of the busiest airports in the nation, the 4% reduction will amount to about 23 canceled roundtrip United flights per day.
By the time the reduction reaches 10% — the equivalent of about 55 United flights canceled per day at O’Hare — it’ll be similar to dealing with a “decent snowstorm,” said Omar Idris, the vice president of the United Airlines O’Hare Hub. Idris said that situation is “not really bad … we can cope with that.”
Read the full story here.
ANC — Anchorage International
ATL — Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International
BOS — Boston Logan International
BWI — Baltimore/Washington International
CLT — Charlotte Douglas International
CVG — Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
DAL — Dallas Love Field
DCA — Ronald Reagan Washington National
DEN — Denver International
DFW — Dallas/Fort Worth International
DTW — Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
EWR — Newark Liberty International
FLL — Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International
HNL — Honolulu International
HOU — William P. Hobby (Houston Hobby)
IAD — Washington Dulles International
IAH — George Bush Intercontinental (Houston)
IND — Indianapolis International
JFK — John F. Kennedy International (New York)
LAS — Harry Reid International (Las Vegas)
LAX — Los Angeles International
LGA — LaGuardia (New York)
MCO — Orlando International
MDW — Chicago Midway International
MEM — Memphis International
MIA — Miami International
MSP — Minneapolis–St. Paul International
OAK — Oakland International
ONT — Ontario International
ORD — Chicago O’Hare International
PDX — Portland International
PHL — Philadelphia International
PHX — Phoenix Sky Harbor International
SAN — San Diego International
SDF — Louisville International
SEA — Seattle–Tacoma International
SFO — San Francisco International
SLC — Salt Lake City International
TEB — Teterboro (New Jersey)
TPA — Tampa International
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