Following Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s announcement that he plans to throttle flight volumes across America, the Federal Aviation Administration has released a list of the 40 airports that will see a 10% reduction in flights – and travelers could be for some big headaches.
The list, as expected, impacts several of the country’s largest airports, including those in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The cuts will be phased in starting Friday, with the full 10% reduction being met by next week. The reduced flight capacity could increase beyond 10% if the record-long government shutdown continues and staffing levels for air traffic controllers and TSA agents worsen.
Duffy says the move is being taken to ensure passenger safety.
The cuts will almost certainly result in a surge in delays and cancellations. Aviation data firm Cirium estimates as many as 1,800 flights could be affected on Friday, with that number increasing as the throttling expands. Flights have already been impacted by the shutdown. On Wednesday, more than 4,100 flights in the U.S. were delayed, according to FlightAware. There were 171 cancellations.
The reduction in capacity could affect delivery times for packages as well. Airports with heavy cargo traffic, such as Memphis and Louisville, are also on the FAA’s list. Passengers on private jets will feel some pain, too, as the Teterboro, N.J. airport is also impacted.
The aviation system is sensitive to many kinds of disruption. A weather delay in one part of the country can throw flights nationwide into chaos. Disturbances in air traffic control are perhaps even more disruptive.
Passengers are being strongly encouraged to check with their carrier to see if their flight is affected before heading to the airport.
Will your local airport cut flights?
Here’s the list of affected airlines, as provided by the FAA. You can expect schedule changes at the following terminals:
