As the U.S. continues to deal with the longest government shutdown in the country’s history, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Thursday that it is forcing airlines to cut 10% of their flights at 40 of the busiest airports across the nation.
This includes Salt Lake City International Airport.
The cuts are meant to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers who are working without pay during the shutdown and ensure that flying remains safe, per The Associated Press.
The cuts began on Friday with flights being reduced by 4% at the 40 airports on the FAA’s list. The reductions will gradually increase to 10% over the next week, announced Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
On Saturday the cuts will rise to 5% and then to 6% on Sunday, per USA Today. These cuts and flight cancellations come just weeks before Thanksgiving and the start of the busy holiday travel season, causing concerns for travelers across the U.S.
Beginning Friday morning, Salt Lake International Airport started to see flight cancellations, with some already scheduled for Saturday.
Duffy said the cuts were a necessary proactive step to keep flying safe since the shutdown puts “strain on the system from both pilots and air traffic controllers.”
“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,” Duffy said, per The Washington Post. “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.”
Bryan Bedford, the FAA administrator, said the agency will continue to closely monitor operations.
“We will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe,” he said in a statement, per The Washington Post.
How many flights have already been canceled?
On Thursday, airlines began releasing their planned cancellations for the first few days of flight reductions.
Delta, which usually operates around 5,000 flights per day, said it would cancel 170 flights on Friday.
United’s 4% flight cut on Friday is equal to less than 200 cancellations as the carrier operates about 4,500 flights every day. The carrier has also released its schedules for Saturday and Sunday and urged travelers to check the status of their flight online or through its app. United did say that even if their flight isn’t canceled, travelers can get a refund for their trip if they don’t want to fly, according to USA Today.
American Airlines will cancel around 220 of its roughly 6,000 departures starting Friday and lasting through the weekend, per ABC News.
FlightAware, a flight tracking website, shows that as of Friday morning more than 800 flights within, into and out of the U.S. had been canceled that day. Almost 500 flights had also already been canceled on Saturday.
On Thursday, there were a total of 201 flights canceled across the U.S.
There were 40 flights from Chicago O’Hare International Airport canceled for Friday as well as dozens of flights from Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and other major airports.
Even though airlines were only given 48 hours to revise their schedules, they voiced their support of the plan, emphasizing how important safety is. The major airlines also called on lawmakers to end the government shutdown as air traffic controllers and other essential workers prepare to miss a second paycheck.
“The FAA’s goal is to relieve pressure on the aviation system so that we can all continue to operate safely,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a message to employees sent Thursday, per The Washington Post. “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.”
According to ABC News, American, United and Delta, the country’s three biggest airlines, have all said they believe they will be able to accommodate most of the impacted passengers on other flights.
How to know if your flight is canceled
According to USA Today, travelers shouldn’t wait until they’re at the airport to check if they’re affected by the flight cancellations. Experts say the most important step is for people to monitor their flights early and often.
Travelers can start by downloading their airline’s mobile app and turning on push and text notifications. It is also important to check days before the flight, not just the night before.
Most airlines have a “Where’s My Plane?” feature in their apps that lets travelers see whether the aircraft scheduled to operate their flight is on schedule.
Are airlines required to give refunds for canceled flights?
In a statement on Thursday, Duffy and Bedford said that airlines would be required to issue full refunds for canceled flights, per USA Today. Airlines are not required to cover secondary costs, which is the standard procedure when flight cancellations are not the airline’s fault.
Federal rules entitle airline passengers to a full refund if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed and they make the decision not to rebook.
A number of airlines are also offering waivers that allow travelers to change their flights without paying change fees or fare differences. These airlines include major carriers such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.
The impact of flight reductions at Salt Lake City International Airport
Salt Lake City International Airport is on the FAA’s list of 40 airports that will see flight reductions.
On Thursday, the airport released a statement acknowledging that it had been included on the FAA’s list.
“We encourage passengers to check with their airlines regarding potential delays or cancellations. Salt Lake City will continue to coordinate with our airlines and other partners to provide updates when available,” the statement posted on X said.
By 8 a.m. on Friday the Salt Lake airport had seen 23 flights canceled, this includes 12 outgoing flights and 11 incoming flights, according to Nancy Volmer, the airport’s communications director.
The airport is also already seeing cancellations for Saturday’s flights including 11 flights meant to depart from Salt Lake and nine flights meant to arrive at the airport.
Most of the canceled flights at Salt Lake are Southwest flights and connections for other airlines through SkyWest.
Earlier this weekend after Duffy shared that cutting flights or shutting down airspace might be necessary as the shutdown continues, Congressman Blake Moore, R-Utah, posted on X about the effect that could have on Thanksgiving travel.
“Imagine shutting down airspace as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday. Never mind the effect it will have on our otherwise strong economy—it will keep families from seeing each other. Enough is enough," he wrote.
“Democrat leadership has achieved their messaging goal during the longest shutdown in history. It’s time to put Americans first and open the government,” Moore added.
Which airports are on the FAA’s list for flight reductions?
The FAA has ordered flight reductions at the country’s 30 busiest airports as well as 10 other airports including those with significant commercial traffic, cargo hubs and airfields popular with private jet operators.
Here’s a look at the full list of 40 U.S. airports that will be impacted by the cuts, per The New York Times:
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Boston Logan International Airport
- Baltimore-Washington International Airport
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
- Denver International Airport
- Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
- Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu
- Washington Dulles International Airport
- George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston
- John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
- Los Angeles International Airport
- LaGuardia Airport in New York
- Orlando International Airport
- Chicago Midway Airport
- Memphis International Airport
- Miami International Airport
- Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport
- Philadelphia International Airport
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
- San Diego International Airport
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
- San Francisco International Airport
- Salt Lake City International Airport
- Tampa International Airport
- Anchorage International Airport
- Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport
- Dallas Love Field
- William P. Hobby Airport in Houston
- Indianapolis International Airport
- Louisville International Airport
- Oakland International Airport
- Ontario International Airport in California
- Portland International Airport
- Teterboro Airport in New Jersey