Amid the U.S. government shutdown* and in compliance with a Federal Aviation Administration mandate, airlines were scheduled to cancel 6 percent of flights at 40 high-traffic airports as of Nov. 12.
By the afternoon of Nov. 12, nearly 800 flights within the United States were canceled with more than 1,200 flights delayed, according to FlightAware. LaGuardia Airport experienced the highest number of delays and cancellations on Nov. 11, with 11 percent of flights into and out of the airport canceled, and 25 percent delayed. As of the afternoon of Nov. 12, departing flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport experienced 45 cancellations and 51 delays.
Other airports heavily impacted include Atlanta (ATL), Denver (DEN), Boston (BOS), Newark (EWR), Phoenix (PHX), San Francisco (SFO), Charlotte (CLT), Dallas (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX). Domestic flights bore the brunt of the cancellations and delays, while international flights remained largely untouched due to agreements with other countries.
FlightAware also listed SkyWest, Republic, Southwest, Endeavor Air (operated by Delta Air Lines), Delta Air Lines and United Airlines as the most impacted. SkyWest experienced 264 cancellations and 74 delays today.
Delays and cancellations have been further exacerbated by bad weather in parts of the country.
The FAA’s decision to lower the number of daily flights was made to accommodate the approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA agents who have worked more than 40 days without pay.
According to the FAA, the cancellation reduction could increase to 10 percent by Nov. 14.
This past Sunday and Monday (Nov. 9 and 10) saw the most daily U.S. cancellations to date, with Nov. 9 nearing 3,000 cancellations, according to FlightAware. Delays and cancellations have affected more than 5 million U.S. travelers.
The delays and cancellations mean a long recovery, even when the government reopens.
*As of press time, the government shutdown was still in effect.
Have you been impacted by these delays and cancellations? What was your recent flying experience like with these FAA cuts? Email us at letters@globaltravelerusa.com. Please include your full name and location.
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