Now, as the current federal government shutdown stretches on indefinitely, dozens of airports throughout the United States have shuttered or drastically reduced their flight schedules. This decision affects all of the country’s large and medium hub air travel markets, throwing major confusion into the equation for travelers and airlines.
Unfortunately, the shutdown, which began Friday, has already led to significant staffing shortages. This comes as a blow to a number of federal agencies that handle air traffic control and airport security. For these reasons, some of our nation’s largest airports are justifiably reacting to these pressures by drastically reducing air service.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports and located in Illinois, has already announced dozens of flight cancellations. The airport is grappling with a severe personnel deficit the administration says is indispensable to safely run operations. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada has done just that. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, in neighboring Ohio, is moving to mitigate the long-term impacts of these continuing disruptions.
Tampa International Airport in Florida is eliminating flights. Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah is the latest to get on board with this trend. Next on the list is Washington Dulles International in Virginia, which is struggling with the same issues along with Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania.
The reach is even farther, affecting Baltimore/Washington International Airport in Maryland and Seattle/Tacoma International Airport in Washington state. Both facilities have been notifying travelers of potential delays and cancellations. They are changing their flight schedules to deal with the day-to-day, which unfortunately is likely coming.
Indianapolis International Airport in Indiana, Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia, and Miami International Airport in Florida are preparing for reduced flight operations. Similarly, Texas airports, including Dallas Love Field and George Bush Houston Intercontinental have drastically reduced service. Finally, Teterboro Airport in New Jersey recently became the latest airport to be impacted by this crisis.
Airlines are making great efforts to contact passengers proactively to rebook travelers on new itineraries. They are similarly advising those whose flights have been canceled or delayed. Travelers are encouraged to confirm with their airline before making the journey to the airport. In doing so, they’ll be able to validate flight statuses and find alternative dates or routes when necessary.