Travelers left stranded as shutdown causes delays, cancellations at Sky Harbor

Passengers waiting for hours due to limited flights, delays

Many travelers are reconsidering their holiday travel after being stuck at Sky Harbor for hours over the weekend, as the country enters Day 2 of the FAA's reduction in flights as the government remains shut down. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz hears more from passengers.

PHOENIX - Delays and cancellations are the buzzwords at airports across the country, including Sky Harbor in Phoenix. The latest numbers show around 44 flights canceled since Nov. 6, and nearly 70 delayed.

At Sky Harbor, the most impacts this week have been seen with Southwest and American Airlines— but almost every airline has been impact one way or another. While the total number of affected flights has actually gone down from Friday, according to FlightAware, there are still plenty of people camped out with their suitcases, waiting to learn their fate.

By the numbers:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun a gradual 10% reduction in flights at 40 airports nationwide, including Phoenix.

Southwest is leading in delays with 58 on Saturday, closely followed by American with 55. SkyWest travelers are seeing the most cancellations, with 16 canceled flights, while Southwest saw 11. 

Several other airlines are affected as well to a lesser extent, so Sky Harbor is urging everyone traveling to check with your airline consistently to make sure you are not impacted.

The good news, though, if you’re going through TSA—the lines are only about 8 to 9 minutes on average to get through in every terminal.

Impact of day 2 of FAA's 10% flight reduction felt at Sky Harbor

Travelers flying in and out of Sky Harbor are feeling the impact of the 10% flight cuts that went into effect on Nov. 7. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz reports.

Local perspective:

"It’s really bad. Really bad," said Sky Harbor traveler Giovanni.

Another traveler, Shane Watson, said, "If you don’t have specific events you have to go to…delay your plans."

These flight cuts are affecting people heading to all different parts of the country for all sorts of reasons. One passenger said he had been stuck at Sky Harbor for more than 24 hours, trying to get to his father-in-law’s funeral in Ohio.

"I've already missed the funeral," said Giovanni.

When asked how long he had been at the airport, he said, "I've been here yesterday since like 11 a.m. I mean, I have been here 24 hours."

Dig deeper:

Watson tried to get ahead of the chaos, moving his flight from Boston to Phoenix two days earlier than planned.

"We were supposed to leave Boston on Saturday, and everything was supposed to be in effect on Friday, so we changed our plans to leave on Thursday, a day before," he said.

While he avoided air trouble, he said trying to get a rental car here was its own headache.

"It’s nuts. The Budget line is out into the hallway, and they just... you think you’re in Disneyland with the size of the lines. It’s crazy," Watson said.

Upcoming Holiday Travel:

With no end to the government shutdown in sight, many fliers have found themselves reconsidering holiday travel.

"I’m not sure I’m going to go through this until everything opens back up again…it’s just too nerve-wracking," said Sky Harbor traveler Sheila Hunt.

Watson agreed, saying "Just wait till all this chaos is over…it’s not worth it."

"I would hope that the Thanksgiving holiday coming up that the folks in Washington will get it together and solve the problems with a proper solution, not just a Band-Aid," traveler Michael added. 

What's next:

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the percentage of flights cut could rise to as high as 15 to 20% if the shutdown doesn’t end soon.