ORLANDO, Fla. – As lawmakers in Washington continue negotiating an end to the ongoing government shutdown, flight disruptions across the country — including at Orlando International Airport (MCO) — are intensifying.
The FAA last week ordered 40 major airports, including Orlando, to reduce flight operations amid a growing shortage of air traffic controllers impacted by the shutdown.
According to FlightAware, on Monday alone, MCO saw more than 300 flight delays and over 100 cancellations. Those numbers could rise as the FAA increases the required reductions — from 4% currently to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by Friday.
[WATCH: FAA reduces air traffic across ‘high-volume’ markets]
The reductions come in response to a shortage of air traffic controllers. The FAA notes there’s been stress on the aviation system during the ongoing government shutdown.
Two families trying to get home said they’ve already felt the impact of delays.
South Dakota traveler Todd Dvoracek, who was traveling with his family of five, said, “We have a 30-minute delay.”
However, he added, “If we have another delay, we won’t make our connecting flight.”
The family said if that happens, they may have to drive 22 hours to get home.
Meanwhile, Ella Delaossa, who was trying to fly to Idaho, said, “I feel like we’re going to keep getting delayed.”
[WATCH: TSA workers feel financial strain as government shutdown drags on]
For other passengers, delays turned into cancellations. LaShae Morris from Houston, Texas, said her day quickly went from bad to worse when her flight was canceled Monday morning.
“I was feeling pissed. I was livid,” Morris said. “I was on the cruise and my phone was on airplane mode. When I turned it on, there it was — your flight has been canceled.”
Morris said the airline gave her the option to get a full refund or rebook. She chose to rebook in hopes of getting home soon.
“If it cancels tomorrow, my plan is to get the full refund back and drive to Houston because I don’t want to keep doing this,” she said.
That would turn what is normally around a two-hour flight into a 13-hour drive.
“I have to get back to work and my daughter has to get back to school,” Morris said.
Other passengers, like Laura Dahl from North Carolina, said even those whose flights haven’t been canceled yet are anxious.
“It’s not safe to have people stranded. It’s also not fair to the employees that are worried about their own livelihoods either, so this is a mess — as big of a mess as could be,” Dahl said.
Airport officials are advising passengers to check their flight status before arriving at the airport and to arrive at least three hours before departure as the FAA’s flight reductions continue.
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