Just ahead of the holiday travel season, the Federal Aviation Administration has announced that it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 major U.S. airports due to the lingering federal government shutdown, which is impacting air traffic controllers.
“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,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford at a news conference on Wednesday.
Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.
The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system and “forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman in a statement.
The list of airports, obtained by the Associated Press, includes Los Angeles (LAX), Ontario (ONT), San Diego (SAN), San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK). Other major hubs include Chicago, Phoenix, Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Miami and both New York airports.
- Anchorage International in Alaska
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
- Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
- Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
- Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
- Dallas Love Field in Texas
- Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
- Denver International in Colorado
- Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
- Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
- Honolulu International in Hawaii
- Houston Hobby in Texas
- Washington Dulles International in Virginia
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas
- Indianapolis International in Indiana
- John F. Kennedy International in New York
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
- Los Angeles International in California
- LaGuardia Airport in New York
- Orlando International in Florida
- Chicago Midway International in Illinois
- Memphis International in Tennessee
- Miami International in Florida
- Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota
- Oakland International in California
- Ontario International in California
- Chicago O’Hare International in Illinois
- Portland International in Oregon
- Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
- San Diego International in California
- Louisville International in Kentucky
- Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
- San Francisco International in California
- Salt Lake City International in Utah
- Teterboro in New Jersey
- Tampa International in Florida
The flight reductions are set to begin on Friday, and travelers are urged check with their airlines to see if their flight has been cut. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 daily flights.
Bedford, citing increased staffing pressures and voluntary safety reports from pilots indicating growing fatigue among air traffic controllers, said he and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy did not want to wait until the situation reached a crisis point.
“We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” Bedford said. “The system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow. If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional measures.”
The government shutdown is already the longest in U.S. history with Democrats and Republicans at an impasse over health care subsidies.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.