The Federal Aviation Administration's decision to reduce commercial air traffic at 40 airports by up to 10% starting Friday is expected to have wide-ranging impacts in California and across the country.
The cuts have been prompted by the government shutdown, which has left air traffic controllers working without pay. FAA officials say the goal is to maintain safe travel. Since the shutdown began on October 1, nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay or calling in sick.
With fatigue among controllers growing, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said he did not want to wait until staffing pressures compromised safety.
What will change?
Up to 1,800 daily flights could be canceled throughout the country.
The cuts could affect about 1,800 flights and 268,000 passengers a day in the United States, according to aviation analysis firm Cirium. At Los Angeles International Airport alone, some 72 daily flights could be reduced, which would affect 12,371 daily passengers, Cirium estimated. An additional 105 flights could be canceled at the other four California airports slated for reductions.
Which airports will be affected?
The FAA has not made public comments. But here's a list from the Associated Press:
1. Anchorage International in Alaska
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
7. Dallas Field of Love in Texas
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
9. Denver International in Colorado
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
11. Metropolitan Wayne County of Detroit in Michigan
12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
14. Honolulu International in Hawaii
15. Houston Hobby in Texas
16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia
17. Intercontinental George Bush Houston in Texas
18. Indianapolis International in Indiana
19. John F. Kennedy International in New York
20. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
21. Los Angeles International in California
22. New York LaGuardia Airport
23. Orlando International in Florida
24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois
25. Memphis International in Tennessee
26. Miami International in Florida
27. Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota
28. Oakland International in California
29. Ontario International in California
30. Chicago O'Hare International in Illinois
31. Portland International in Oregon
32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
34. San Diego International in California
35. Louisville International Airport in Kentucky
36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
37. San Francisco International in California
38. Salt Lake City International in Utah
39. Teterboro in New Jersey
40. Tampa International in Florida
When will the reductions begin to be noticed?
A shortage of air traffic controllers has caused delays for weeks, including at LAX and Burbank airport. But officials said the flight reductions will begin Friday and continue until they reach a 10% cut.
Authorities urged passengers to check with airlines about the status of their flights, but warned that flights could be canceled without notice.
- The FAA has a website that tracks national airspace issues.
- Experts recommend monitoring your airlines' websites and receiving alerts on your phone.
- Here are more tips.
Officials said the decision to cut flights was motivated by data about which areas were facing increased staffing pressures that could compromise safety.
“This is not based on which airline … has the most flights from which location,” Duffy said. “Is it about where the pressure is and how to relieve it?”
What about international flights?
International flights are expected to be exempt from the cuts. But passengers taking connecting flights before heading abroad could face problems as the cuts affect several of the country's busiest hubs, including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando and Miami.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
