FAA Cuts Expected to Cause Thousands of Cancellations

Airports in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, along with other hubs across the US, are among the 40 that will see flights cut starting Friday due to the government shutdown, according to a list distributed to the airlines and obtained by the AP. The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday that it would reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 "high-volume" markets to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain during the ongoing government shutdown.

• The affected airports, in more than two dozen states, include the busiest ones across the US—including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities, such as New York, Houston and Chicago, multiple airports will be affected. The full list can be seen here.
• Experts predict hundreds, if not thousands, of flights could be canceled. The cuts could affect as many as 1,800 flights and upward of 268,000 passengers each day, per an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.

• The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the government shutdown and have been increasingly calling out of work. Controllers have already missed one full paycheck and are scheduled to again receive nothing next week as the shutdown drags on. The FAA has been delaying flights at times when airports or its other facilities are short on controllers.
• Passengers should start to be notified about cancellations on Thursday. Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on customers, some of whom will see weekend travel plans disrupted with little notice.
• United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes. United, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines said they'd offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly, even if they purchased tickets that aren't normally refundable. The head of Frontier Airlines recommended that travelers buy backup tickets with another airline to avoid being stranded.

• "I'm not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we've had a situation where we're taking these kinds of measures," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Wednesday. "We're in new territory in terms of government shutdowns."
• Reuters reports that Bedford told airlines CEOs on Wednesday that the cuts would start at 4% Friday, rising until hitting 10% next week. He said the plan would apply to flights between 6am and 10pm, and that international flights would be exempted.
• Mounting staffing pressures are forcing the agency to act, Bedford said, per the AP. "We can't ignore it," he said, adding that even if the shutdown ends before Friday, the FAA wouldn't automatically resume normal operations until staffing improves and stabilizes.