PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Federal transportation officials said air traffic will be reduced by 10% starting Friday at 40 high-volume markets around the country, including Philadelphia International Airport.
Air traffic controllers have been working weeks without pay amid the ongoing government shutdown. On top of a staffing shortage, more and more workers have been calling out, adding even more pressure to the system.
In order to keep things safe in the sky, the FAA said it is making a data-based decision to trim air traffic by 10% at 40 airports around the U.S.
“I anticipate there will be additional disruptions,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “There will be frustration. We are working with the airlines. They’re gonna work with passengers. But in the end, our sole role is to make sure we keep this airspace as safe as possible.”
“We want to do this in an organized way,” said FAA Chief Bryan Bedford. “We want to make sure that planes get where they need to go … and crews get to where they need to be as we try to implement this drawdown in service.”
Travelers should check with their airlines to see if their flight has been cut. Here is a list of airports affected:
1. Anchorage International in Alaska
2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
7. Dallas Love Field in Texas
8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
9. Denver International in Colorado
10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
14. Honolulu International in Hawaii
15. Houston Hobby in Texas
16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia
17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas
18. Indianapolis International in Indiana
19. John F. Kennedy International in New York
20. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
21. Los Angeles International in California
22. LaGuardia Airport in New York
23. Orlando International in Florida
24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois
25. Memphis International in Tennessee
26. Miami International in Florida
27. Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota
28. Oakland International in California
29. Ontario International in California
30. Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois
31. Portland International in Oregon
32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
34. San Diego International in California
35. Louisville International in Kentucky
36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
37. San Francisco International in California
38. Salt Lake City International in Utah
39. Teterboro in New Jersey
40. Tampa International in Florida
Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
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.
In some cases, air traffic control towers have had to close because no one was available to work.
“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,” Bedford added. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”
Lane Conley, a Philly rep for the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists — the union representing the workers who maintain the equipment and tech that air traffic controllers use — was off the clock Thursday morning doing informational picketing. Since the shutdown, he said workers have received one partial paycheck, and they are now on the verge of missing a second full payday.
“We just want to get paid for the work we’re doing,” he said. “We still have to show up to work and some of us even have to work overtime still, which isn’t getting paid yet.”
Earlier this week, the TSA announced that two security checkpoints at Philadelphia International — Terminal A West and Terminal F — have temporarily closed due to the shutdown.
The change comes only weeks before the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period. Anyone flying is urged to follow up with the airline for scheduling updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.