LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning Friday morning to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown.
Guy Tannenbaum speaks with travelers considering potential of cancellations, delays ahead of air travel reduction
Channel 13 obtained the list of affected airports through an exclusive from ABC News, and Harry Reid is included in the list.
- ANC Anchorage International
- ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
- BOS Boston Logan International
- BWI Baltimore/Washington International
- CLT Charlotte Douglas International
- CVG Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
- DAL Dallas Love
- DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National
- DEN Denver International
- DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International
- DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
- EWR Newark Liberty International
- FLL Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
- HNL Honolulu International
- HOU Houston Hobby
- IAD Washington Dulles International
- IAH George Bush Houston Intercontinental
- IND Indianapolis International
- JFK New York John F Kennedy International
- LAS Las Vegas Harry Reid International
- LAX Los Angeles International
- LGA New York LaGuardia
- MCO Orlando International
- MDW Chicago Midway
- MEM Memphis International
- MIA Miami International
- MSP Minneapolis/St Paul International
- OAK Oakland International
- ONT Ontario International
- ORD Chicago O`Hare International
- PDX Portland International
- PHL Philadelphia International
- PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International
- SAN San Diego International
- SDF Louisville International
- SEA Seattle/Tacoma International
- SFO San Francisco International
- SLC Salt Lake City International
- TEB Teterboro
- TPA Tampa International
The reduction stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide.
We reached out to officials at Harry Reid Thursday morning, who provided the following statement:
Currently operations at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) continue as normal. While LAS remains fully operational, we are aware of the FAA’s announcement regarding a planned 10% reduction in air traffic beginning Friday, Nov. 7, and are awaiting additional information from the agency.
As always, flight delays or cancellations elsewhere in the country may still impact travel nationwide. We encourage travelers to check directly with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information.
LAS maintains regular communication with our airport partners, including the FAA and TSA, and will continue to do so throughout this period. Should there be any changes to airport operations, we will provide updates as they become available.
There have already been numerous delays at airports across the country — sometimes hours long — because the FAA slows down or stops traffic temporarily anytime it is short on controllers.
Abel Garcia reports on FAA reducing air traffic by 10% across "high-volume" markets
Last weekend saw some of the worst staffing shortages, and on Sunday, flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were delayed for several hours.
Major airlines, aviation unions and the wider travel industry have been urging Congress to end the shutdown.
Earlier this week, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned there could be chaos in the skies next week if the shutdown drags on long enough to keep air traffic controllers from getting their next paychecks on Tuesday.
Most controllers have continued to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said. That leaves little time for a side job to help cover bills, mortgage payments and other expenses unless controllers call out.
Here's what airlines are saying on how they are handling reduced air traffic and how it could impact your flight plans
Delta
"Delta expects to operate the vast majority of our flights as scheduled, including all long-haul international service, and will work to minimize customer impact while keeping safety our top priority," the statement reads. "We are providing additional flexibility to all of our customers during the impacted travel period to change, cancel, or refund their flights, including our basic economy fares, without penalty.
Delta customers are now being advised to monitor their flight status via Delta.com or the Fly Delta app. The company said it plans to give travelers as much notice as possible about any changes.
United
The FAA's goal is to relieve pressure on the aviation system so that we can all continue to operate safely. That is the FAA's highest priority, and ours as well. No matter what environment we're operating in, we will not compromise on safety.
These reductions will start on Friday, November 7, and we will continue to make rolling updates to our schedule as the government shutdown continues so we can give our customers several days' advance notice and to minimize disruption for them and for all of you.
United's long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted by this schedule reduction direction from the FAA. That's important to maintain the integrity of our network, give impacted customers as many options as possible to resume their trip, and sustain our crew pairing systems.
Instead, we will focus our schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hubs.
We'll use our app, website and push notifications to communicate to customers directly if their flight changes, and to offer rebooking options. We want to provide them with as much information as we can and in a way that's simple and easy to understand.
And importantly, any customer traveling during this period is eligible for a refund if they do not wish to fly – even if their flight isn't impacted. That includes non-refundable tickets and those customers with basic economy tickets.
Even with these schedule reductions, United and its United Express partners will still offer about 4,000 flights per day to fly our customers to their destinations. And because of the early November timing, our flights have more seats available than before the summer, meaning we should be able to find seats for many customers even if their flight is canceled.
Southwest
Southwest is evaluating how the planned FAA flight reductions, announced on November 5 and expected to begin November 7, will affect our schedule. Southwest will communicate directly with Customers as soon as possible. Nothing is more important to Southwest® than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.
We know that these FAA-imposed cancellations can impact an important moment in your life. We appreciate your understanding.
If your flight is canceled, we will notify you via the contact information you shared with us at booking. You will also see a message on our app and website if you retrieve a trip with a canceled flight.
American
Due to the ongoing government shutdown and nationwide air traffic control staffing shortages, the FAA has directed airlines to reduce flight schedules to continue to maintain safe airspace operations beginning Friday, Nov. 7. Flights on Thursday, Nov. 6, will operate as planned.
We expect the vast majority of our customers’ travel will be unaffected, and long-haul international travel will remain as scheduled. As schedule changes are made, we’ll proactively reach out to customers who are impacted. As always, we encourage all customers to check their flight status on aa.com or the mobile app, which will provide real-time updates.
Disrupting customers’ plans is the last thing we want to do. To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period, customers whose flights are cancelled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund without any penalty.
In the meantime, we continue to urge leaders in Washington, D.C., to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown. We remain grateful to the air traffic controllers, TSA officers, CBP officers and other federal employees who are working right now without pay — all to get our customers where they need to be safely — as well as our American Airlines team members who always work to take the best care of our customers.
Frontier
On November 5, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directed all airlines, including Frontier, to reduce their schedules during the government shutdown. These reductions will start on Friday, November 7.
During these reductions, we expect most Frontier flights will operate as planned. Where changes to flight schedules are necessary, we will proactively communicate with impacted customers via email, text, and the Frontier mobile app. Customers whose flights are canceled or delayed for more than 3 hours (domestic flights) or 6 hours (international flights) are able to rebook or to request a refund here.
We have also issued a flexible travel policy for any customer traveling during this period who would like to change or cancel their travel plans. Details are available below. Changes or cancellations can be made here or on the Frontier mobile app.
Before heading to the airport, check the Frontier mobile app or our Flight Status page for the latest flight status updates. Our team is working around the clock to minimize disruption to your travel plans.
Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story.