Airlines are preparing for the Federal Aviation Administration's planned cuts of 10% of flights beginning Friday that will bring relief to air traffic controllers, and headaches for travelers.
The FAA says it will reduce flights across dozens of “high-volume” markets, including Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The FAA hasn’t released details on which flights could be affected, but airlines’ statements suggest cuts will focus on smaller domestic and regional flights, and largely spare international flights and those between hub airports.
According to Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho, the FAA's plan reduces flights by less than 10% on Friday to allow airlines to adapt, then ramps up in later days.
By 8 p.m. Thursday, 25 cancellations had been listed for Friday at Sea-Tac, according to FlightAware, which tracks delays and cancellations. More cancellations are likely. Nationwide, 811 flights previously scheduled for Friday had been canceled.
SkyWest, a regional airline that partners with United, Delta, American and Alaska airlines, canceled 172 flights, including 15 to or from Sea-Tac. Southwest listed 121 cancellations. Endeavor, a regional subsidiary of Delta, canceled 79.
Alaska Airlines began canceling a limited number" of flights and doesn't expect international flights to be affected. The airline canceled four Sea-Tac flights out of six total.
Four flights by Alaska-owned Hawaiian Airlines within Hawaiʻi were canceled. Horizon, a regional subsidiary of Alaska, canceled eight, including two Sea-Tac flights. The airline said it will contact travelers directly if their flight is canceled.
Delta Air Lines, the second-largest carrier at Sea-Tac after Alaska Airlines, said it expects to operate the "vast majority" of flights as scheduled. The airline is allowing all passengers, including those on basic economy fares, to change, cancel or refund their flights without penalty.
The airline intends to cancel flights a day in advance to give travelers more options "well before heading to the airport," a Delta spokesperson told The Seattle Times.
The CEO of Frontier Airlines recommended passengers buy a backup ticket on another airline if they are heading somewhere they must be in the next few days.
“That way if your flight cancels you have an immediate backup,” Barry Biffle posted on LinkedIn. “Carriers like Frontier will be putting you on the next available flight but that may not be until after your event due to the scale of this disruption.”
Air traffic controllers have been working without pay because of the government shutdown, now the longest ever. Some areas have seen staffing shortages because high numbers of workers have called in sick, forcing ground stops at airports and hundreds of delays and cancellations.
President Donald Trump, speaking with reporters Thursday, said he wasn’t concerned about air travel safety amid the FAA’s decision.
“That is why they are cutting,” he said. “…They want to make sure they are 100% safe. That’s why they are doing it.”
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, called the FAA's decision a "dramatic and unprecedented step" that requires transparency.
"The FAA must immediately share any safety risk assessment and related data that this decision is predicated on with Congress, Larsen said in a statement.
The Modern Skies Coalition, an association of dozens of aviation groups including unions representing pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers, urged Congress to end the government shutdown.
“This prolonged shutdown has strained the aviation system and its dedicated workforce to unacceptable levels of stress and disruption,” the coalition said in a statement. “The American flying public deserves nothing less than a fully operational aviation system. It’s time for Congress to act decisively.”
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