UP IN THE NEXT 15 MINUTES. THANK YOU. MARQUISE. WELL, FROM AIR TRAVEL TO GROCERY BILLS, THE LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN U.S. HISTORY HAS LEFT AMERICANS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SCRAMBLING TO FIND NEW WAYS OF GETTING WHERE THEY WANT TO GO OR PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE. NOW, THE EFFECTS OF THIS SHUTDOWN ARE ON FULL DISPLAY FOR ALL TO SEE AT ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, ONE OF DOZENS OF AIRPORTS THAT THE FAA HAS ASKED TO REDUCE AIR TRAFFIC. WESH 2’S DAVID JONES IS JOINING US LIVE FROM THAT LOCATION THERE TONIGHT. AND, DAVID, THE DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS, THEY JUST CONTINUE TO RACK UP TODAY. LUANA YOU’RE RIGHT, THEY DO. GOOD EVENING. 66 FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS 66. JUST IN THE PAST 24 HOURS ALONE. THAT’S ACCORDING TO FLIGHTAWARE. LOTS OF EXASPERATED TRAVELERS HERE IN THE TERMINAL TONIGHT AND THROUGHOUT THE EVENING. AND IT’S ONLY EXPECTED TO GET WORSE AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT WEEK. MAYBE STICK TO MORE THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO BY CAR TRAVEL. MCO IS GEARING UP FOR A 10% REDUCTION IN AIR TRAFFIC NEXT WEEK. ALREADY THE AIRPORT HAS REDUCED AIR TRAFFIC BY 4%. IT’S ONE OF 40 AIRPORTS ACROSS THE NATION. THE FAA AND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ASKED TO REDUCE AIR TRAFFIC IN RESPONSE TO THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND TO RELIEVE BELEAGUERED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS, COLLIER, CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND SENATOR AND SAY, YOU KNOW, LET’S JUST GET PEOPLE MOVING ON TIME. BLANCHETT’S FLIGHT TO CONNECTICUT GOT CANCELED. HE SAYS HE AND HIS FAMILY WILL NOW HAVE TO FLY TO DELAWARE, THEN DRIVE RIGHT AWAY. THEY TOOK OUR LUGGAGE. EVERYTHING SEEMED GOOD, BUT THEN IT STARTED TO CREEP. YOU KNOW, 1030. DEPARTURE BECAME NOON, BECAME 130, 3:00, 4:00. AND THEN IT GETS CANCELED. SO WE’RE JUST FLYING THROUGH A SMALL REGIONAL AIRPORT IN CONNECTICUT, AND WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE WOULD LITERALLY, PROVERBIALLY FLY UNDER THE RADAR HERE WITH ALL THIS STUFF. GOT THE EMAIL FROM SOUTHWEST, AND WE WERE LIKE, WE AREN’T GOING TO CHANCE IT. IT’S NOT WORTH IT. JESSE SNYDER DROVE 14 HOURS FROM YORK, PENNSYLVANIA FOR A FAMILY DISNEY TRIP. THEIR ORIGINAL PLAN WAS A SOUTHWEST FLIGHT. WE SAID, HEY, EVEN IF THINGS GO PERFECTLY WITH OUR FLIGHT DOWN, WHICH OBVIOUSLY THEY DIDN’T, WE STILL HAVE TO GET BACK. AND WHO’S TO SAY THAT WHEN WE GO TO LEAVE NEXT SATURDAY, THAT THAT FLIGHT’S NOT CANCELED? SNYDER SAYS DESPITE THE TRAVEL CHANGES, HE STILL THANKFUL HE AND HIS FAMILY CAN GO ON VACATION AND HE’S STILL GETTING PAID. UNLIKE THE MANY TSA EMPLOYEES AND AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS. SO WE’RE TAKING THE HIT ON THE GAS, AND WE’RE TAKING A HIT ON THE DRIVE AND THE HOURS IN THE CAR. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, AT LEAST WE KNOW WE’RE IN CONTROL AND WE CAN MAKE IT BACK WHEN WE NEED TO. AND ALL OF THESE CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS ONLY EXPECT TO STACK UP AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT WEEK. OTHER AIRPORTS IN OUR STATE THAT ARE AFFECTED BY SIMILAR PROBLEMS HERE AT MCO INCLUDE MIAMI, FORT LAUDERDALE AND TAMPA. LIV A
MCO flight cancellations continue amid government shutdown
Updated: 11:30 PM EST Nov 8, 2025
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is causing widespread disruptions, with Americans struggling to manage travel plans and daily necessities.At Orlando International Airport, one of many airports asked by the FAA to reduce air traffic, the effects are evident as travelers face delays and cancellations. In the past 24 hours, 53 flights have been canceled, according to FlightAware, leaving many travelers frustrated.”Maybe stick to more things you can do by car travel,” one traveler suggested as the airport prepares for a 10% reduction in air traffic next week, having already reduced it by 4%. This reduction is part of a nationwide effort by the FAA and the Department of Transportation to alleviate the pressure on air traffic controllers during the shutdown.Matt Blanchette, a traveler whose flight to Connecticut was canceled, shared his experience.”Call your congressman and senator and say let’s just get people moving on time,” Blanchette said.He and his family now plan to fly to Delaware and drive the rest of the way.”Right away, they took our luggage, everything seemed good. But then it started to creep, 10:30 departure became noon, became 1:30, three o’clock, four o’clock and then it just canceled. We’re just flying into a small regional airport in Connecticut, we thought maybe literally and proverbially here we could just fly under the radar with all this stuff,” he said.Jesse Snyder, who drove 14 hours from York, Pennsylvania, for a family Disney trip, decided against flying due to the uncertainty.”Got the email from Southwest and we were like, we aren’t gonna chance it, it’s not worth it,” Snyder said.Their original plan was a Southwest flight.”We said, hey, even if things go perfectly with our flight down, which obviously they didn’t, we still have to get back. Who’s to say that when we go to leave next Saturday that that flight’s not cancelled,” Snyder said.Snyder expressed gratitude for being able to go on vacation and for still receiving his paycheck, unlike many TSA employees and air traffic controllers.”We’re taking the hit on the gas and we’re taking the hit on the drive and the hours in the car, but at least we know we’re in control and we can make it back when we need to,” Snyder added.The cancellations and delays are expected to continue, affecting other airports in Florida, including Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history is causing widespread disruptions, with Americans struggling to manage travel plans and daily necessities.
At Orlando International Airport, one of many airports asked by the FAA to reduce air traffic, the effects are evident as travelers face delays and cancellations. In the past 24 hours, 53 flights have been canceled, according to FlightAware, leaving many travelers frustrated.
“Maybe stick to more things you can do by car travel,” one traveler suggested as the airport prepares for a 10% reduction in air traffic next week, having already reduced it by 4%. This reduction is part of a nationwide effort by the FAA and the Department of Transportation to alleviate the pressure on air traffic controllers during the shutdown.
Matt Blanchette, a traveler whose flight to Connecticut was canceled, shared his experience.
“Call your congressman and senator and say let’s just get people moving on time,” Blanchette said.
He and his family now plan to fly to Delaware and drive the rest of the way.
“Right away, they took our luggage, everything seemed good. But then it started to creep, 10:30 departure became noon, became 1:30, three o’clock, four o’clock and then it just canceled. We’re just flying into a small regional airport in Connecticut, we thought maybe literally and proverbially here we could just fly under the radar with all this stuff,” he said.
Jesse Snyder, who drove 14 hours from York, Pennsylvania, for a family Disney trip, decided against flying due to the uncertainty.
“Got the email from Southwest and we were like, we aren’t gonna chance it, it’s not worth it,” Snyder said.
Their original plan was a Southwest flight.
“We said, hey, even if things go perfectly with our flight down, which obviously they didn’t, we still have to get back. Who’s to say that when we go to leave next Saturday that that flight’s not cancelled,” Snyder said.
Snyder expressed gratitude for being able to go on vacation and for still receiving his paycheck, unlike many TSA employees and air traffic controllers.
“We’re taking the hit on the gas and we’re taking the hit on the drive and the hours in the car, but at least we know we’re in control and we can make it back when we need to,” Snyder added.
The cancellations and delays are expected to continue, affecting other airports in Florida, including Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.