FAA cuts flights at Orlando, Tampa airports; what passengers need to know

ORLANDO, Fla. - Flights across the country can expect to be impacted by a 10% reduction of air traffic at 40 major markets due to the government shutdown, as the FAA announced Wednesday. 

Four airports in Florida were on the FAA's list, which was released late Thursday. 

The FAA said the cuts were necessary to deal with fatigue and staffing issues among flight controllers, who have not received a paycheck in a month due to the government shutdown, while also maintaining safety in the skies.

Here are the Florida airports impacted

- Orlando International Airport

- Tampa International Airport

- Miami International Airport

- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport

When do the flight restrictions start?

The cuts begin on Friday, Nov. 7. The FAA said cuts would start at 4% and increase up to 10% over the next seven days. Several airlines have already alerted customers to flight cancellations for Friday, Saturdy, and Sunday, according to each of the airline's websites.

• Friday, Nov. 7: 4% reduction in flights
• Tuesday, Nov. 11: 6% reduction in flights
• Thursday, Nov. 13: 8% reduction in flights
• Friday, Nov. 14: 10% reduction in flights

Why are 10% of flights reduced? 

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it will cut air traffic by 10% across 40 major markets starting Friday morning, Nov. 7 to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown. 

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), nearly half of all major air traffic control facilities have been affected by staffing shortages caused by a surge in sick calls. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said workers will receive back pay once the shutdown ends, but says the administration is unable to pay certain essential workers, like air traffic controllers, without congressional cooperation.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency is not going to wait for a problem to act, saying the shutdown is causing staffing pressures and "we can't ignore it." 

Which airports are affected? 

1. Anchorage International in Alaska

2. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia

3. Boston Logan International in Massachusetts

4. Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland

5. Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina

6. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio

7. Dallas Love Field in Texas

8. Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia

9. Denver International in Colorado

10. Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas

11. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan

12. Newark Liberty International in New Jersey

13. Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida

14. Honolulu International in Hawaii

15. Houston Hobby in Texas

16. Washington Dulles International in Virginia

17. George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas

18. Indianapolis International in Indiana

19. John F. Kennedy International in New York

20. Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas

21. Los Angeles International in California

22. LaGuardia Airport in New York

23. Orlando International in Florida

24. Chicago Midway International in Illinois

25. Memphis International in Tennessee

26. Miami International in Florida

27. Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota

28. Oakland International in California

29. Ontario International in California

30. Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois

31. Portland International in Oregon

32. Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania

33. Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona

34. San Diego International in California

35. Louisville International in Kentucky

36. Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington

37. San Francisco International in California

38. Salt Lake City International in Utah

39. Teterboro in New Jersey

40. Tampa International in Florida

FOX 35 has reached out to the FAA to confirm each airport on this list. 

How many airlines operate out of MCO? 

Forty-three airlines currently operate out of MCO. 

Airlines offering flexible travel

Six airlines released statements regarding offering flexible travel to customers affected by the FAA decision. 

Allegiant

Allegiant's network has not been impacted, and all scheduled flights are operating as normal, the airline said in a statement. Allegiant is awaiting further instruction from the FAA, it said. 

If any flights are affected, passengers will be notified directly through our normal communication channels, the airline said, saying customers don't need to take action at this time. 

American Airlines

Though American Airlines said it expects the vast majority of our customers’ travel will be unaffected and long-haul international travel will remain as scheduled, the airline said it will proactively reach out to impacted customers. Customers whose flights are canceled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund, without any penalty, American Airlines said. 

Delta

Delta is complying with a directive from the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation to reduce flights at 40 major U.S. airports beginning Friday, Nov 7. The airline expects to operate the vast majority of our flights as scheduled, including all long-haul international service. Delta said it will work to minimize customer impact while keeping safety our top priority.

Delta said it's offering flexibility to all of our customers during the impacted travel period, allowing customers to change, cancel or refund their flights without penalty. This includes basic economy fares, the airline said. 

Frontier 

Frontier said most flights are expected to operate as planned, but if changes to flight schedules are necessary, the airline will communicate with impacted customers via email, text, and the Frontier mobile app. Customers whose flights are canceled or delayed for more than 3 hours (domestic flights) or 6 hours (international flights) are able to rebook or to request a refund online, the airline said. 

Frontier also offers a flexible travel policy, allowing any customer traveling during this period who would like to change or cancel their travel plans. Changes or cancellations can be made on the Frontier website or app. Customers can check Frontier's Travel Alerts page for the latest updates. 

Southwest 

On Wednesday evening, a Southwest spokesperson told FOX 35 that it's evaluating how the planned FAA flight restrictions will affect the schedule, saying it will communicate directly with customers as soon as possible. 

"Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees. We continue to urge Congress to immediately resolve its impasse and restore the National Airspace System to its full capacity," Southwest said. 

United

United’s long-haul international and our hub-to-hub flying won't be impacted by the schedule reduction direction from the FAA, the airline said in a statement. Instead, regional flying and domestic mainline flights that don't travel between United's hubs will be impacted by scheduled reductions, United said. 

The airline will communicate with customers directly if their flight changes and provide rebooking options through its app, website and push notifications. Any customer traveling during this period is eligible for a refund if they don't want to fly – even if their flight isn’t impacted. This includes non-refundable tickets and basic economy tickets, United said. 

FOX 35 has also reached out to Spirit and JetBlue.

How long are TSA wait times? 

Security wait times can be viewed on MCO's website. The wait times – listed by gate – are subject to change. 

How to check your flight status? 

Flight statuses can be viewed on MCO's website, to check what flights are on time, delayed or canceled. 

To check the status of your flight, officials recommend checking with the airline directly:

• Alaska Airlines
• Allegiant
• American Airlines
• Delta Air Lines
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue
• Spirit Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• United

What travelers can expect

With the holiday travel season just weeks away, passengers are being advised to check flight status frequently, arrive early, and prepare for potential delays.

At Tampa International, things are running smoothly for now, but as the shutdown drags on, travelers nationwide could be in for more turbulence.

Is Orlando Sanford International Airport affected? 

Orlando Sanford International Airport does not appear to be on the top 40 list. The airport has not released any information regarding if they are affected by the FAA's decision regarding a 10% reduction in flights. 

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