Travelers are being warned to expect thousands of flight cancelations nationwide on Friday as airlines comply with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order to reduce air traffic by 10% at 40 high-volume U.S. airports – including Newark Liberty International.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday the federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 has exacerbated a longstanding shortage of air traffic controllers. These federal workers have not been paid for more than a month, and a growing number of them are not reporting to work because they are working side jobs to pay their mounting bills.
“Our No. 1 priority at the FAA is that when you travel, you travel safely,” Duffy said at a televised news conference. He said the FAA order to airlines to decrease flights at major airports, starting Friday, is being done to “reduce the national risk profile.”
The list of 40 affected airports includes Newark Liberty International and Teterboro in New Jersey, LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, and Philadelphia International Airport in Pennsylvania.
The Associated Press obtained the list of airports affected by the FAA order from airlines because the government had not yet provided specifics by Thursday morning.
“I anticipate there will be additional disruptions. There will be frustration,” Duffy said. “We are working with the airlines, and they are working with passengers, but in the end our sole role is to make sure we keep the airspace as safe as possible.”
United Airlines, which operates a major hub out of Newark Liberty and accounts for 70% of the airport’s passenger traffic, said in a statement on social media that the FAA order would not affect its long-haul international flights or hub-to-hub flights.
“Instead, the focus is on schedule reductions to regional and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hub airports,” United said.
“These reductions will start Friday, Nov. 7. We will continue to make rolling updates to our schedule so we can provide several days’ advance notice,” United said. “If your flight is impacted, we will notify you in advance via the United app, our website or a text.”
