Which 40 airports will be affected by cuts? Louisville SDF airport is on list, reports say
Louisville is among the airports that will see a reduction in flights at the end of the week due to the impact of the ongoing federal government shutdown, according to news reports.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced in a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 5, that there will be a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, but he did not say which airports would see cuts.
An Allegiant Airlines jet prepared for takeoff at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Feb. 9, 2024
Duffy did not specify how long these restrictions might last, but officials stated that they would begin on Friday morning, Nov. 7, USA TODAY reported.
The list of airports, obtained by ABC News and CBS News, includes the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport and airports in northern Kentucky and Indianapolis.
Duffy's comments came two days after he warned there could be far-reaching flight cancellations and disruptions to air travel, pointing to the pressure on the country's air traffic controllers.
"I think it's going to lead to more cancellations, but we are going to work with the airlines to do this in a systematic way," Duffy said Nov. 5 in response to reporters' questions.
“This is data-based," he added. "This is not based on what airline travel has more flights out of what location. This is about where is the pressure and how do we alleviate the pressure.”
Officials said they will work with the airlines to figure out how to implement the reductions.
"We’re trying to be prescriptive, surgical, put the relief where the relief will do the most good," said Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford during the news conference. "Again, we’re not going to do anything that will compromise the safety of air travel in the United States."
Airports affected by government shutdown: Is SDF included?
CBS and ABS news websites posted the list, obtained from sources, of airports that would see cuts. The list includes passenger airports, airline hubs and airports with heavy cargo traffic.
The flights impacted by reductions are scheduled during 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to ABC News.
International flights are exempt from the cuts, the source told ABC News. A final list of airports and the FAA order with details is still in the works and is expected to be issued Thursday, according to the report.
List of airports which will see flight reductions, according to the report, in alphabetical order by airport code:
- Anchorage International (ANC)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
- Boston Logan International (BOS)
- Baltimore/Washington International (BWI)
- Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
- Dallas Love (DAL)
- Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA)
- Denver International (DEN)
- Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW)
- Newark Liberty International (EWR)
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL)
- Honolulu International (HNL)
- Houston Hobby (HOU)
- Washington Dulles International (IAD)
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental (IAH)
- Indianapolis International (IND)
- New York John F Kennedy International (JFK)
- Las Vegas Harry Reid International (LAS)
- Los Angeles International (LAX)
- New York LaGuardia (LGA)
- Orlando International (MCO)
- Chicago Midway (MDW)
- Memphis International (MEM)
- Miami International (MIA)
- Minneapolis/St Paul International (MSP)
- Oakland International (OAK)
- Ontario International (ONT)
- Chicago O`Hare International (ORD)
- Portland International (PDX)
- Philadelphia International (PHL)
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX)
- San Diego International (SAN)
- Louisville International (SDF)
- Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA)
- San Francisco International (SFO)
- Salt Lake City International (SLC)
- Teterboro (TEB)
- Tampa International (TPA)
How does the shutdown affect air traffic controllers?
Air traffic controllers and many other Federal Aviation Administration employees are considered essential workers, so they're required to report for duty even though they're not earning paychecks during the government shutdown.
While employees at both agencies are expected to get back pay for the duties they performed once the shutdown ends, many advocates say going weeks without pay puts them under additional stress and can result in them having to find other ways to earn temporary income.
When air traffic controllers or Transportation Security Administration officers fail to show up for work, it can result in flight delays and longer security lines.
Bedford said during the news conference that air traffic controllers continuing to work during the shutdown are covering longer hours and more days. "We are starting to see some evidence that fatigue is building in the system in ways that we feel we need to work towards relieving some of that pressure," he said.
“Many (air traffic controllers) are already working six days a week, and now they are facing the impossible choice of taking on extra jobs just to feed their families. Meanwhile, Congress is leading us towards what could be the longest shutdown in our nation's history, and introducing risk into an already fragile system," National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels said in a statement Oct. 29.
Bob Travis, president of the Independent Pilots Association, a union representing about 3,500 UPS pilots, said safety is the main priority during the government shutdown.
"My understanding is the administration's objective in making this move was to increase safety, not decrease safety," he said. "Especially since they're not getting paid and and the ability to still provide safe separation and and the service from ATC for the commercial airline community."
Travis said there have been reports of unions supporting to air traffic controllers by providing them with food, but, "ultimately, we want our air traffic controllers to be paid. ... We want that whole issue to get resolved so that we can get back to a normal operation."
What are the effects on cargo plane traffic at Louisville airport?
In addition to Louisville, the other three major UPS pilot domicile hubs at Anchorage, Alaska, Ontario, California and Miami, Florida are also expected to be hit with air traffic control cut.
Other major cargo hub airports facing air traffic control reduction include Memphis, Tennessee where FedEx's main operations are and the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati airport which is home to DHL and a major Amazon hub.
FAA staff shortages
The FAA has had longstanding staffing shortages, with controllers in many facilities working mandatory overtime to compensate.
The Department of Transportation, under multiple administrations, has attempted to address the shortage but has struggled to attract sufficient numbers of recruits to the air traffic control organization.
Even before the shutdown began, staff shortages occasionally triggered flight delays.
This spring, following a series of equipment failures at Newark Liberty International Airport's control facility, some air traffic control operators took time off to recover from the stress, leading to a spike in delays and cancellations at that airport.
Staff shortages have led to flow control programs to keep flights safe in other areas, too, like the airspace controlled by Jacksonville Center.
The shutdown may contribute to some of these staff issues as controllers need to find other sources of income, but it's not necessarily the root cause of all the staffing-related problems in air travel even now.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Which 40 airports will be affected by cuts? Louisville SDF airport is on list, reports say
