US flight cuts will begin at 4% on Friday, rising to 10% by November 14, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in an order, citing safety concerns about air traffic control amid the ongoing US government shutdown.
Airlines spent Thursday scrambling to update their schedules since the cuts were announced Wednesday: Nearly 700 scheduled flights have since been removed from airline schedules, according to aviation disruption tracker FlightAware.
The flight reductions are expected to affect 40 airports across the United States, including some of the busiest airports such as those near the metropolitan areas of New York, Houston, Chicago and Washington, and hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Charlotte and North Carolina.
Which airports are affected?
Here are the 40 airports affected by the shutdown, according to a list provided to airlines and obtained by 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 Kentucky
7. Dallas Love Field in Texas
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
9. Denver International in Colorado
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
14. Honolulu International Airport in Hawaii
15. Houston Hobby in Texas
16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia
17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental 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. LaGuardia Airport in New York
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 in Kentucky
36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
37th San Francisco International in California
38. Salt Lake City International in Utah
39. Teterboro, New Jersey
40. Tampa International in Florida
Are international flights affected?
The reduction in flights is expected to affect only domestic air services and will not affect international flights, Reuters reported.
But that could change in the coming days, Bloomberg reported.
What to do if your flight is delayed or cancelled?
In the event that your flight is delayed or canceled due to cutbacks, passengers are advised to make a new reservation using their airline’s mobile app or website as soon as possible.
Passengers can also contact the customer service line if they need to speak to someone on the phone.
This means rebooking is on a first-come, first-served basis, and fliers should be aware that there could be a reduction in available seats due to FAA cutbacks.
“The best thing travelers can do is be as proactive as possible when switching to a new flight. When a flight is canceled, suddenly hundreds of passengers need new itineraries. The best flights can have only a handful of seats left and it’s a first-come, first-served effort,” Scott Keyes, founder of travel website and flight aggregator Going, he said USA TODAY.
Can you get a refund if your flight is cancelled?
Customers are usually entitled to a full refund if their flight is canceled for any reason, including lack of air traffic controllers, if they choose not to fly the alternative itinerary provided by their airline.
That said, in the current scenario, most airlines have not said passengers will be reimbursed if their flight is canceled and the company is unable to accommodate them on another flight, Bloomberg reported.
Flyers are therefore urged to pay close attention when reading the fine print for booking flights in the coming days.
What to know before going to the airport?
Because unexpected changes in flight schedules may occur, flyers are encouraged to closely monitor email and website alerts from airlines for announcements of schedule changes.
Passengers are also advised to arrive at the airport early as security checks are tighter due to the ongoing shutdown.
It is also recommended that passengers use the early check-in facility whenever possible.
