More than 3,000 flights were delayed or canceled on Friday morning as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initiated cuts at major airports, according to a flight tracking service.
Among U.S. airlines, Southwest Airlines led the way with more than 650 delayed flights and 129 cancelled flights, the tracker shows.
Worldwide, more than 15,000 flights were delayed and more than 1,200 were canceled, according to the live tracker.
The FAA has stated that the reductions would begin at 4 percent and increase to 10 percent by November 14. They are to be in effect between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time, affecting all commercial airlines.
“We are continuing to communicate with impacted customers.”
The airline also said that people traveling with the carrier should “check their flight status on AA.com or the mobile app.”
After the reductions are initiated, United “will continue to make rolling updates to our schedule as the government shutdown continues so we can give our customers several days’ advance notice and to minimize disruption for them and for all of you,” a company statement said.
“No matter what environment we’re operating in, we will not compromise on safety,” it added.
Southwest, in a statement to media outlets this week, maintained that the “vast majority” of its flights won’t be disrupted due to the FAA actions.
“All Southwest Customers with travel booked through next Wednesday, November 12, may choose to adjust their travel plans at no cost or receive a refund if they choose not to travel, regardless of whether their flight is affected,” the statement said.
The FAA order comes as the Trump administration is ramping up pressure on Congress to end the shutdown. Already, some government programs have been suspended or partially suspended due to the lapse in funding, which began on Oct. 1.
