TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Wednesday that 10% of flights will be canceled in the 40 busiest airports starting on Friday. This comes as the government shutdown continues to drag on more than a month later.
What we know:
Experts said it is a safety concern to have a standard volume of flights but a reduced number of air traffic controllers due to call-outs.
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“That airport traffic is matched to the amount of controllers and the amount of runway space and various other factors,” said Shawn Pruchnicki, an assistant professor at the Center for Aviation Studies at The Ohio State University. “So, if you have a decrease in, in this case, controllers, then you have to match that to the amount of air traffic coming in.”
Air traffic controllers are not paid during a government shutdown.
“The point of this is safety,” said Margaret Wallace, an assistant aviation professor at the Florida Institute of Technology. “If controllers are not physically and mentally capable of doing their job, the point of this reduction is to make sure that everybody that is in the air is safe.”
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What they’re saying:
Even if your home airport is not one of the busiest, you may connect through one of the 40 that sees a reduction. Travelers are stressed, especially with the holidays looming.
“If it gets into the coming months, I’m going to be pretty bummed out, and I have a lot of family in other countries and stuff, so it’ll be a little disappointing for sure,” said Noah Cespedes, a traveler from Tampa.
It is also not immediately clear what types of flights will be canceled, meaning cargo flights could be on the chopping block affecting deliveries.
“It’d be really upsetting if we’re ordering a lot of packages and all of a sudden we’re not having gifts come in, and then it’s pretty awkward giving somebody a gift a few weeks after a holiday,” Cespedes said.
READ: What are the busiest airports in the US?
What’s next:
Duffy is expected to announce the affected airports on Thursday. On it will be the 40 busiest in the country.
According to Airports Council International – North America, Tampa International Airport is considered the 29th busiest airport by passenger volume in the United States. In 2024, there were nearly 25 million passengers coming in and out of the airport.
“We’re talking about a lot of airplanes affected by this in a significant financial impact for a lot of people and a lot of large organizations or companies,” Pruchnicki said.
Why you should care:
Aviation experts want passengers to know that while this is an inconvenience, it is for your own safety.
“The point of this is safety. If controllers are not physically and mentally capable of doing their job, the point of this reduction is to make sure that everybody that is in the air is safe,” Wallace said.
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Travelers hope the shutdown will end soon, but Cespedes has little confidence.
“I would think that everybody would kind of be working towards a solution as quickly as possible,” Cespedes said. “But, it kind of seems like right now that everybody’s still kind of stuck in their ways and really like digging their heels in on this, unfortunately.”
The other side:
The Tampa International Airport sent a statement to FOX 13:
“Tampa International Airport is awaiting federal guidance for any possible impacts to TPA. We encourage passengers to check directly with airlines for flight schedule information.”
The Source: Information in this story comes from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Airports Council International – North America, aviation experts, Shawn Pruchnicki and Maragart Wallace, and interviews done by FOX 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.