Hundreds of flights throughout the US have been cancelled this weekend due to the ongoing government shutdown, and officials warn that this is only the beginning.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) official flight reduction plan revealed airlines will be forced to cancel six percent of domestic flights this Tuesday, eight percent on Thursday and 10 percent starting Friday, November 14.
A new report also highlighted that the major US airlines are set to see the most chaos under the program, including Ronald Reagan Washington National, Newark Liberty International, Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia International, and Dallas/Fort Worth.
On Saturday and Sunday, these airports are in the heart of another travel night, as more than 1,000 flights have already been cancelled to comply with the FAA’s directive.
The agency ordered airlines at 40 major airports to cut the number of daily flights in an effort to manage staffing shortages, including several already ranked among the worst in the nation for delays.
Currently, major airlines have only grounded around four percent of their domestic flights, meaning planes are taking off in one US city and landing in another.
However, this number is set to triple to more than 3,500 flights per day by next Friday as the US Department of Transportation (DOT) forces airlines to increase the number of cancelled flights this week.
By Thanksgiving, a new nightmare scenario has been projected that nearly 10,000 local flights could be cancelled on one of the biggest travel days of the year.
Over 1,000 flights are expected to be cancelled on Saturday and Sunday across 40 major US airports (Stock Image)
United Airlines has set up a special webpage to track the company’s cancelled flights resulting from the FAA’s plan to reduce air traffic
If the government shutdown drags on, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that 20 percent of all domestic flights could be axed later this month, amounting to more than 7,000 cancelled trips per day.
On Wednesday, November 26, the day before Thanksgiving, that level of airline cuts would lead to approximately 9,800 cancelled flights throughout the US.
The impending travel chaos would likely be the worst at Virginia’s Ronald Reagan Airport, where researchers for SmartAsset found that only 62 percent of flights are on time each month.
Out of 75 airports surveyed, Reagan finished 74th, ahead of only Long Island’s MacArthur Airport.
Delays and cancellations are sure to make flying through Newark just as frustrating this month, as the New Jersey airport has been at the center of the air traffic controller staffing shortage crisis all year.
Newark ranked 73rd in the new survey, with over 36 percent of the flights arriving and departing running late.
Chicago O’Hare, Philadelphia International, and Dallas/Fort Worth all saw more than 35 percent of their monthly flights experience delays, foreshadowing even more travel headaches for Americans as cancellations grow.
The FAA’s mandated cancellations specifically target flights leaving between 6am and 10pm local time.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (left) and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford (right) made the announcement Wednesday, with Bedford admitting the airline industry could be headed for uncharted territory
Flyers are Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (Pictured) have been among the customers affected by growing cancellations on domestic flights
International flights have been exempted from the cutbacks, and airlines have said these trips should continue to run on schedule, although passengers should still monitor their bookings for any delays.
While nearly all air travelers this weekend will need to check with their carriers if their specific flight has been canceled, United Airlines has listed 324 flights they have cut on Saturday and Sunday on a special webpage.
American Airlines has cancelled 205 of its scheduled flights on Saturday, according to the latest data from Cirium.
Delta has reportedly cancelled 158 of its more than 4,000 flights on Saturday and another 175 on Sunday.
Delta, United and American have all reported their anticipated cancellations are set to skyrocket once the new week begins.
That’s when the FAA reduction plan will increase the number of dropped flights to six percent, starting Tuesday, November 11. Cancellations of domestic flights could increase to as many as 2,100 that day.
If the government shutdown continues beyond Tuesday, the FAA’s plan then calls for an increase to eight percent of domestic flights cancelled on Thursday, November 13.
Estimates show that up to 2,800 flights may have to be axed on Thursday at the 40 affected travel hubs.
Air travel could reach a crisis point by Friday, November 14, when the FAA plan calls for these airports to hit the goal of cancelling 10 percent of all domestic flights, which could represent approximately 3,500 cancelled trips and 268,000 seats removed.
Air traffic control towers across the US, including at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (Pictured), have gone dark for hours over the last month due to staffing shortages caused by the government shutdown
With the holiday season just days away, airlines have started recommending that travelers take drastic and expensive action to make sure they reach their destinations on time.
Frontier CEO Barry Biffle said any of his company’s customers traveling within the next 10 days who didn’t want to risk being stranded should also book an extra ticket on a different airline.
Private jets, charter flights, military flights, and planes delivering cargo for UPS and FedEx are also exempt from the FAA slowdown.
For passengers affected by the ongoing airport cuts, you’re entitled to a full refund for cancelled flights.
