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PHOENIX - Hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled at Sky Harbor International Airport on Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began a gradual 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports nationwide.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said a 4% reduction in operations will take effect Friday, Nov. 7, ramping up to 10% by Nov. 14.
What we know:
Many impacted travelers received cancellation messages Thursday and adopted a desperate strategy Friday: arriving early and taking any available flight, regardless of the time.
"Super frustrated and a little nervous ... my anxiety levels are not happy," said traveler Sheila Hunt, whose original canceled flight was replaced by another that faced multiple delays.
Another traveler, Gary Hall, said he arrived around noon for his flight scheduled for 5:13 p.m. on Nov. 7.
Canceled flights spur frustration; travelers suggest Mesa Gateway
The FAA's new 10% flight reduction at 40 high-traffic airports, including Phoenix, is compounding issues as the airport already faces delays and cancellations. In contrast, travelers at nearby Mesa Gateway Airport are reporting smooth and easy travel.
Why you should care:
A retired air traffic controller who previously worked at Sky Harbor, David Riley, anticipated more trouble for travelers in the coming days, saying the issue is "going to compound."
Riley believes the 10% reduction is not enough to relieve the burden on air traffic controllers, who are dealing with existing staff shortages and are working without pay due to the government shutdown.
"You take away 200 flights, 10% out of 2,000. You know, it's still a busy day. And it just doesn't have that big of an impact," he said.
Riley emphasized the severe stress placed on controllers, who must be right "100% of the time," and are now distracted by figuring out how to manage mortgages and childcare without a paycheck.
He added that the shutdown is also impacting unpaid TSA agents.
‘Hopelessness’ among air traffic controllers as government shutdown drags on, expert says
Most air traffic controllers worked six days a week and put in mandatory overtime even before the shutdown, but they have been doing so without paychecks as lawmakers fail to agree on a way to reopen the government.
What you can do:
Sky Harbor officials are advising anyone planning to fly in the coming days to continuously monitor the airport's website and check directly with their airline for updates.