SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014 The government shutdown is passing 36 days now, breaking all previous records.<\/p>\n
The FAA is reporting they will be scaling back the number of flights at 40 major airports and San Diego International is one of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are looking at perhaps having less air traffic controllers available to work the airspace. So, if they close a portion of it, the capacity is reduced but the capacity then is based on their ability to control the skies safely,\u201d said Jim Kidrick, the president of the San Diego Air & Space Museum.<\/p>\n
The Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy says 10 percent less of the airspace will be covered by air traffic controllers.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s just say they have ten air traffic controllers, now they only have nine, it\u2019s been reduced by 10 percent. Well the airspace should be perhaps ten percent less, so it\u2019s a capacity issue,\u201d Kidrick said.<\/p>\n
Anlleyn Venegas, Senior\u00a0Public Affairs\u00a0Specialist for\u00a0Auto Club\u00a0of Southern California, said you should consider driving if you\u2019re worried about cancelations and if your destination is within driving distance.<\/p>\n
With transportation secretary warning of chaos through the holidays, AAA is warning travelers to be prepared for whatever is to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cDownload your airlines app and turn on notifications just in case there are any delays, any cancelations due to air traffic control staff shortages,\u201d Venegas said.<\/p>\n
Kidrick wants to stress that if the transportation department didn\u2019t reduce their flights, that would be the thing that would make him worried.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey want to be safe and that really is the ultimate goal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
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