PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia International Airport is among 40 of the country’s busiest airports that will cut flights by 10% starting Friday due to a shortage in air traffic controllers amid a historically long government shutdown.
What we know:
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced the changes on Wednesday. Duffy and Bedford said the cuts are because of a shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the federal government shutdown, now the longest in American history.
The cuts, Bedford said, are meant to keep air traffic safe, and alleviate the pressure on the system.
“This is data-based,” Duffy said. “This is not based on what airline travels, has more flights out of what location. This is about where is the pressure, and how do we alleviate the pressure.”
Philadelphia International Airport is among the list of airports that will reduce traffic because of the cuts. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, along with John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York City will also be impacted.
According to the Associated Press, passengers started being notified of cancellations on Thursday. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have both said that they’ll offer refunds to passengers who choose not to fly, even if they purchased previously non-refundable tickets.
FAA airport flight reduction list
Here’s the full list of airports that will have flights cut:
- Anchorage International in Alaska
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
- Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
- Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
- Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
- Dallas Love Field in Texas
- Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
- Denver International in Colorado
- Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
- Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
- Honolulu International in Hawaii
- Houston Hobby in Texas
- Washington Dulles International in Virginia
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas
- Indianapolis International in Indiana
- John F. Kennedy International in New York
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
- Los Angeles International in California
- LaGuardia Airport in New York
- Orlando International in Florida
- Chicago Midway International in Illinois
- Memphis International in Tennessee
- Miami International in Florida
- Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota
- Oakland International in California
- Ontario International in California
- Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois
- Portland International in Oregon
- Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
- San Diego International in California
- Louisville International in Kentucky
- Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
- San Francisco International in California
- Salt Lake City International in Utah
- Teterboro in New Jersey
- Tampa International in Florida
By the numbers:
Philadelphia and Newark airports served more than 79 million passengers in 2024, according to data from Airports Council International – North America.
The backstory:
Even before the federal government shut down, the U.S. was suffering from a shortage of air traffic controllers. Since the shutdown began, air traffic controllers have gone without pay. Duffy said that an increasing number of controllers are calling out of work,
What’s next:
Flights will be cut starting Friday, Nov. 7. Duffy and Bedford said traffic will continue to be limited for the remainder of the government shutdown, and that if the air traffic controller shortage persists or gets worse, they will implement more cuts.
What we don’t know:
It’s not clear what airlines or routes will be subject to cuts, though Duffy and Bedford said on Wednesday that they would try and make cuts as equitable as possible. United has said that their international and long haul flights won’t be impacted.
The Source: Information in this story is from a Nov. 5 press conference from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford, the Associated Press and previous FOX 29 reports.
Philadelphia International AirportTravelNews
