LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Traveler discomfort is expected to continue Saturday as flight delays and cancellations are imposed by the U.S. Department of Transportation as a result of staffing issues among air-traffic controllers at 40 major airports amid the ongoing federal government shutdown ramp upward.
Controllers are considered essential workers who are instructed to continue working despite the closure and not receiving paychecks. But federal transportation officials said the issue has led to “staffing triggers” at air traffic facilities nationally, leading to “strain on the system.”
As of 7 a.m. Saturday, 10,844 flights had been delayed and 1,110 canceled nationwide, according to the website FlightAware. This includes 20 flight delays and 19 cancellations at Los Angeles International Airport.
The federal agency reported 2,740 flight delays last weekend, with the situation only expected to worsen without a resolution to the government shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that capacity would be reduced at 40 high-volume airports beginning Friday. According to a DOT statement issued Thursday night, flight capacity at the affected airports will be cut by 4% beginning Friday, 6% on Tuesday, 8% next Thursday and 10% by next Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration is also limiting commercial space launches and reentries to the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time. Parachute operations and photo missions near affected airports were also being prohibited.
Airports in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ontario are among those impacted by the capacity cuts, but airfields not among the 40 on the list could still see ripple-effect impacts on flight operations.
LAX is the busiest airfield in California and among the top five in the nation.
“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety,” Duffy said in a statement Thursday night. “This isn’t about politics — it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay. It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.”
At San Diego International Airport, there had been 10 flight delays as of 7 a.m. Saturday and 13 cancellations, FlightAware reported.
No delays or cancellations were listed for Ontario International Airport.
Airlines have been issuing alerts to passengers to be aware of possible flight impacts.
United Airlines posted a message on its website stating, “We’re making updates to our schedule and will let you know if your flight is affected as soon as possible, but anyone flying between Nov. 6 and 13 can request a refund or reschedule for free.”
Southwest Airlines posted a notice saying “the vast majority” of its customers will not be affected, but said anyone with flights booked through Wednesday can adjust their travel plans at no cost, or receive a refund if they choose not to travel, regardless of whether their flight is affected.”
“We will communicate directly with affected customers as soon as possible,” according to Southwest.
Delta Air Lines also advised customers of flight reductions and provided guidance for travelers about how they can change or cancel their flights without any financial penalties.
Frontier Airlines stated that it expects most of its flights to operate as planned, but it will communicate with passengers whose travel plans may be impacted by the cuts.
“Customers whose flights are canceled or delayed for more than three hours (domestic flights) or six hours (international flights) are able to rebook or to request a refund,” according to the airline.
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