Air traffic control absences surge, hitting almost half of major US airports

[claraj]

My cousin's flight from NYC to Orlando for tomorrow just got cancelled!

 

[emeryjre]

My cousin's flight from NYC to Orlando for tomorrow just got cancelled!

which airline

 

[claraj]

Delta

 

[Luanne]

My cousin's flight from NYC to Orlando for tomorrow just got cancelled!

Did Delta offer another flight? Full refund?

 

[easyrider]

Did Delta offer another flight? Full refund?

I hadn't thought about canceled flights due to a government shut down. Who ends up paying for the canceled flights ?

Bill

 

[claraj]

Did Delta offer another flight? Full refund?

He was auto-booked on a connecting flight through Atlanta but I think he rebooked a direct flight with another airline.

 

[davidvel]

I hadn't thought about canceled flights due to a government shut down. Who ends up paying for the canceled flights ?

Bill

Most airlines treat the shutdowns like any major disruption (weather, political, IT outage, disaster, etc.). They offer "policy exceptions" so you can rebook on any other flight or cancel (with refund) within a specific timeframe on a rolling basis as the event progresses.

Dealing with this on a trip next week.

 

[VacationForever]

I got notified by Southwest airlines this afternoon that my Saturday flight has been cancelled. Fortunately, there were other flights that were not cancelled, and I booked an earlier flight. It messed up my rental car reservation as I had to rebook, and fortunately it didn't cost me too much more by picking up the car earlier.

 

[easyrider]

Most airlines treat the shutdowns like any major disruption (weather, political, IT outage, disaster, etc.). They offer "policy exceptions" so you can rebook on any other flight or cancel (with refund) within a specific timeframe on a rolling basis as the event progresses.

Dealing with this on a trip next week.

Good Luck Dave.

Bill

 

[beejaybee]

With the goal of cutting flights by 10% as of tomorrow, won't there be a trickle-down effect on the paychecks of pilots, flight attendants, ground crew and baggage handlers?

 

[WorldT]

With the goal of cutting flights by 10% as of tomorrow, won't there be a trickle-down effect on the paychecks of pilots, flight attendants, ground crew and baggage handlers?

I believe the 10% starts today. And at least for most flights attendants, they are paid for completed flights and partial payments for waiting for scheduled flights. So yes, any cut in the number of flights will affect their pay.
Not sure about the other groups.

 

[emeryjre]

Today's new level of misery if you are flying

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/07/airlines-cancellations-flights-faa-shutdown.html

From the article

Major network airlines said the disruptions were largely centered on regional flights that fly to smaller cities. United Airlines, for example, said its hub-to-hub flying and its long-haul international flights wouldn’t be canceled because of the order.

 

[Sugarcubesea]

I'm flying out on Monday for a business trip from DTW to ATL, both of these airports are on the list of cutting 10% of the flights --- so Monday should be an interesting day

 

[moonstone]

Our next flight booked is TPA>YYZ just before Christmas, then on Dec.29th YYZ>ATL>MIA, then on Dec.30th MIA>BZE. I hope all this is settled well before that. I feel sorry for the folks whose travel plans are screwed up or cancelled.

~Diane

 

[silentg]

My sister and family are flying BOS-MCO tomorrow on Delta. Fingers crossed they can get to Orlando.

 

[PigsDad]

Here is a good link of FlightAware’s “Misery Map”, an interactive map showing US airport flight cancellations and delays. I have found this very interesting.

https://www.flightaware.com/miserymap/

Kurt

 

[DeniseM]

No Hawaii?

 

[ljmiii]

A datapoint from today.

For once EWR had no issues. 5 minutes to get through security and ATC was fully staffed.

The problem was that the same wasn’t true for the airspace to the south. Between a ground stop that had us taking off 3 1/2 hours late and having to take a circuitous route through airspace staffed with enough ATCs we’re expected to land 4 hours late.

 

[VacationForever]

My new flight is completely full. Packing them in, after the flight I was originally on is canceled.

 

[claraj]

My flight to NYC from Orlando is now delayed 2.5 hours. The incoming flight from DC was delayed 3 hours. There are so many people at MCO people are sitting everywhere and sleeping on the floor and the airport lounge is at capacity. I was planning to hang out there.

 

[silentg]

My sister and family are flying BOS-MCO tomorrow on Delta. Fingers crossed they can get to Orlando.

Their flight is delayed

 

[Red elephant]

A datapoint from today.

For once EWR had no issues. 5 minutes to get through security and ATC was fully staffed.

The problem was that the same wasn’t true for the airspace to the south. Between a ground stop that had us taking off 3 1/2 hours late and having to take a circuitous route through airspace staffed with enough ATCs we’re expected to land 4 hours late.

EWR does have delays. My flight from ATL to EWR on United was delayed 2 hours. United said no cancelations to its hub but there are delays.

 

[VacationForever]

Here's the interesting observation, Las Vegas airport was busy as usual but when I landed in Sacramento, the airport was deserted. I got on the shuttle (train) to get to the terminal for transporation/baggage claim, only 4 of us got on. Walking through the airport, it appeared to be about 10% of what I am used to. I waited for the rental car shuttle, just 3 of us got on (3 singles). Sacramento airport is not supposed to be affected but obviously it is only one end of the flights.

 

[emeryjre]

A datapoint from today.

For once EWR had no issues. 5 minutes to get through security and ATC was fully staffed.

The problem was that the same wasn’t true for the airspace to the south. Between a ground stop that had us taking off 3 1/2 hours late and having to take a circuitous route through airspace staffed with enough ATCs we’re expected to land 4 hours late.

According to FlightAware, EWR was number 2 in the US with cancellations and delays
You were one of the lucky ones

 

[HitchHiker71]

EWR does have delays. My flight from ATL to EWR on United was delayed 2 hours. United said no cancelations to its hub but there are delays.

EWR has been having ATC related delays due to a combination of staffing shortages and equipment issues for months now. Any time I’ve flown into or out of EWR I’ve received text messages explicitly about ATC related delays. Many times when flying into EWR the flight cannot even take off from the source airport because EWR won’t allow it. Many flights also end up getting canceled or the crew times out due to the delays and that in and of itself causes more delays. I stopped flying from/to EWR for the foreseeable future due to these EWR related issues, that are documented here:

https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-statements-newark-liberty-international-airport

These delays were supposed to lift at the end of October, just in time for the shutdown related shortages unfortunately.

I swore off EWR when coming home from a west coast business trip in early August. It all started when my Thursday afternoon flight got canceled on Wednesday night, and I was rescheduled to a red eye flight Thursday night out of SFO (which required a hop from LAX to SFO first). I ended up booking a flight home with another carrier flying through Phoenix. Got to Phoenix on time, then kept getting delayed by EWR, had to switch the plane out due to routing, then the crew timed out, then the plane they swapped us into had an equipment failure, had to disembark and wait for another plane. I was supposed to be home around 6:30pm Thursday evening, I arrived home at 8:00am Friday morning. No more EWR for me for while LOL.

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