The Federal Aviation Administration will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 major U.S. markets starting Friday morning to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown, the agency announced Wednesday.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the move comes as the agency faces staffing shortages among air traffic controllers, many of whom are working without pay and calling out during the 36-day shutdown.
The result has been delays across the country and mounting pressure on the system.
“We had to have a gut check of what is our job,” Duffy said. “Is it to make sure there’s, you know, minimal delays or minimal cancellations? Or is our job to make sure we make the hard decisions to continue to keep the airspace safe?”
Bedford said the FAA is acting before conditions worsen, calling the staffing situation “impossible to ignore.”
The two officials said they will meet with airline leaders later Wednesday to coordinate how to implement the reduction, with more information expected within 48 hours.
According to sources familiar with discussions between the FAA, Department of Transportation, and the airlines, the cuts will begin Friday and reach the full 10% reduction by next week.
The FAA has not yet released its final order specifying which airports will be affected, but a proposed list provided to CBS News outlines dozens of the nation’s busiest hubs.
Airports listed for flight reductions
Anchorage International (ANC)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
Boston Logan International (BOS)
Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
Dallas Love (DAL)
Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
Denver International (DEN)
Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
Newark Liberty International (EWR)
Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
Honolulu International (HNL)
Houston Hobby (HOU)
Washington Dulles International (IAD)
George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
Indianapolis International (IND)
New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK)
Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
Los Angeles International (LAX)
New York LaGuardia (LGA)
Orlando International (MCO)
Chicago Midway (MDW)
Memphis International (MEM)
Miami International (MIA)
Minneapolis–St. Paul International (MSP)
Oakland International (OAK)
Ontario International (ONT)
Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
Portland International (PDX)
Philadelphia International (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
San Diego International (SAN)
Louisville International (SDF)
Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA)
San Francisco International (SFO)
Salt Lake City International (SLC)
Teterboro (TEB)
Tampa International (TPA)
The list also includes several airports with significant cargo or private aviation operations, including Louisville, Memphis, Anchorage, and Teterboro, New York.
The FAA has not said whether all 40 will be subject to cuts simultaneously.
Seattle and regional impacts
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport deferred questions to the FAA.
An automated FAA email said the agency is unable to respond to routine media requests due to the shutdown.
SEA averages roughly 1,190 flights daily.
An Alaska Airlines spokesperson said the company is “staying close to the FAA and awaiting further guidance,” adding that it continues to urge an end to the shutdown.
Aviation analyst John Nance said travelers should expect the effects to be nationwide.
“It doesn’t take much more than a small disruption in scheduling to cause a ripple effect across the country,” Nance said. “And we’re talking about 10% of the flights.”
He warned that delays and cancellations are likely to extend beyond the directly affected airports, especially in hub cities such as Seattle, where Delta and Alaska Airlines operate major operations.
“This reduction in flights across the country may just be the beginning,” Nance said. “There is really no other choice other than shutting down parts of the aerospace system until we get enough people who are rested and not distracted.”
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