HOUSTON \u2013 Flight cancellations began Friday at Houston\u2019s Bush and Hobby airports as the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to reduce flights nationwide. <\/p>\n
The cuts are part of an effort to maintain airspace safety amid staffing shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown.<\/p>\n
The FAA directed airlines to cut about 4 percent of flights at 40 of the busiest airports, including Houston\u2019s major airports. Flight tracking data showed roughly 38 canceled flights at Bush and 15 at Hobby on the first day, with numbers expected to rise by the end of next week when the mandated capacity cut reaches 10 percent.<\/p>\n
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the goal is to minimize risk during the shutdown and return to normal operations as soon as possible. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to minimize the risk through this government shutdown and bring us to a matrix that matches what we had before the shutdown,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Industry experts warn the situation could worsen. <\/p>\n
Airline analyst Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research Group said the prolonged shutdown, now in its 38th day, could lead to even more flight disruptions as Thanksgiving approaches. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really worried that we may see air traffic controller staffing problems exacerbate. And the FAA may tell airlines to cancel even more flights than the 10% they\u2019ve told them to cut thus far,\u201d Harteveldt said.<\/p>\n
The Transportation Secretary also warned that flight reductions could reach up to 20 percent if the shutdown remains unresolved. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not yet clear what will happen for Thanksgiving travel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe airlines are waiting to hear from the FAA about this. And it\u2019s a function of the government shutdown. If the government shut down continues, frankly, I\u2019m worried we could see even higher levels of absenteeism among FAA air traffic controllers. We could see these staffing shortages get even worse,\u201d Harteveldt said. <\/p>\n
He estimated airlines may not make decisions about cutting Thanksgiving flights until a week or 10 days before the holiday.<\/p>\n
Many air traffic controllers, unpaid for over a month, are not reporting to work, prompting the FAA to reduce flight capacity to keep airspace safe.<\/p>\n
Travelers are advised to expect uncertainty and fluid conditions over the next week. <\/p>\n
Harteveldt recommended avoiding nonessential travel if possible. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t really need to travel, it\u2019s going to be very uncertain, very fluid over the next five to seven days,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
By law, passengers with canceled flights should receive full refunds, and many major airlines are allowing travelers to voluntarily cancel with refunds as well. This option may help travelers avoid complications amid the evolving situation.<\/p>\n
Harteveldt also noted that airline route networks are tightly interconnected and engineered for efficiency. The FAA\u2019s short notice to reduce flights forces airlines to quickly adjust complex schedules, potentially causing ripple effects across the system.<\/p>\n
Even if a traveler\u2019s flight is not canceled or their airport is not among the busiest, disruptions remain possible if aircraft are out of position due to cancellations elsewhere.<\/p>\n
For those traveling this weekend, AAA recommends packing light with only carry-on luggage to stay flexible. Travelers should also download their airline\u2019s app and enable alerts to stay updated on flight status changes.<\/p>\n
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