FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — The government shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history, causing the Federal Aviation Administration to make a decision like never before.<\/p>\n
This Friday, air travel will begin cutting flight capacity by 4 percent and climb to 10 percent over the weekend. The unprecedented move is causing turbulence at 40 of the nation’s largest airports from coast to coast.<\/p>\n
“When you start cutting those flights, it gets really rough,” said Deborah Reagan of Merced.<\/p>\n
In California, four of the biggest airports will feel the reduction from San Francisco and Oakland to LAX and San Diego. Major hubs like Chicago’s O’Hare also made the list, which could cause delays for connecting flights.<\/p>\n
RELATED: FAA to cut thousands of flights a day starting Friday due to shutdown: List of airports here<\/a><\/p>\n “That’s going to be double the headache, triple the headache,” said Edwin Cheung of Fresno.<\/p>\n The decision translates to thousands of cancelled flights per day.<\/p>\n “This is about where’s the pressure and how to really deviate the pressure. Our sole role is to keep this airspace as safe as possible,” said Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation.<\/p>\n The pressure is felt by those navigating the country’s airspace.<\/p>\n “We’re exhausted now,” said Cleverson Schmidt, FAA Airway Transportation Safety Specialist<\/p>\n The move comes on the heels of an ongoing air traffic controller shortage made worse by a government shutdown with no end in sight.<\/p>\n Air traffic controllers and TSA agents are now going weeks without pay.<\/p>\n “They’re part of critical infrastructure, so God bless them for going without pay,” said Reagan.<\/p>\n Travelers like Edwin Cheung, who flew into Fresno from Denver, is now reconsidering booking holiday travel.<\/p>\n “Do I want to be in Denver and then Chicago and then JFK? Those are the considerations where I’m like, maybe it’s not worth it,” said Cheung.<\/p>\n Travelers are potentially turning to other modes of transportation, including driving to their destination or climbing aboard a train.<\/p>\n “One of the things that I thought about with my travel planning was the minimal number of stops at airport hubs,” said Reagan.<\/p>\n Some of the direct flights out of Fresno include Chicago, Dallas, Portland and Seattle.<\/p>\n On Wednesday, the CEO of Frontier Airlines suggested on social media for travelers to book a spare or “back-up” flight on another carrier should their flight be cancelled. This travel tip could reduce your chances of being stranded at a major airport.<\/p>\n Fresno Yosemite International Airport released the following statement on Wednesday night:<\/p>\n While the actual impact to the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) due to the recent announcement by Secretary Duffy (USDOT), mandating a 10 percent reduction across 40 high-volume markets is hard to project, these proposed reductions across the National Airspace System (NAS) are expected to have a ripple effect on other airports.<\/p>\n Aircraft traffic flow and temporary ground stops at other major airports such as DEN, LAX, and DFW have already caused sporadic flight delays at FAT. Now, these flight delays are expected to be more of a certainty with the proposed reduction. FAT is committed to ensuring the safety and security of the traveling public and continues to work closely with its federal partners on tracking this situation.<\/p>\n FAT encourages passengers to be patient and vigilant in monitoring their flight status by checking with their airline or downloading their airline mobile app for timely updates.<\/p>\n For news updates, follow Christina Lopez on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.<\/p>\n