Charlotte Douglas International Airport and American Airlines are warning travelers that flight cancelations have begun at CLT, as the airport implements the Federal Aviation Administration flight reduction order Friday.
The FAA said air traffic controller shortages are worsening, as already overworked controllers are forced to keep working without pay amidst the federal government shutdown. More controllers have been calling in sick, or even picking up second jobs to try and make ends meet. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said this week that those air traffic controller shortages won't get better until the federal government reopens, and that reducing flight schedules 10% at the nation's 40 busiest airports is necessary for safety.
American operates most of the flights at CLT, which is the airline's second-busiest hub. With around 700 daily departing flights, canceling 4% of CLT's daily schedule on Friday would amount to around 30 flights. By 9 a.m. Friday, airline-tracking site FlightAware showed 21 flights from CLT had been canceled, while another 20 flights headed to the airport from elsewhere were scrubbed.
On Friday, CLT officials said travelers need to arrive early.
"CLT continues to stay in close contact with federal and airline partners to remain informed and respond as necessary. While there are currently no major impacts to airport operations, travelers should anticipate possible delays and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check their flight status with their airline before coming to the Airport and arrive at the terminal at least two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international flights," the airport said in a statement.
American Airlines said it's canceling about 4% of its flights on Friday, a number expected to continue through Monday and ramp up in the coming week.
"Due to the ongoing government shutdown and nationwide air traffic control staffing shortages, the FAA directed airlines to reduce schedules to maintain safe airspace operations. Per FAA requirement, we have reduced flight schedules by four percent at 40 airports Friday through Monday, amounting to about 220 flights canceled each day. Even with these cancellations, we plan to operate around 6,000 daily flights. We are continuing to communicate with impacted customers. We encourage everyone to check their flight status on AA.com or the mobile app.
Disrupting customers’ plans is the last thing we want to do, and we have issued a travel waiver. To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period, 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.
We’re deeply grateful to federal aviation workers who continue working without pay to keep our skies safe. This is unacceptable. We, once again, urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown."
Travelers watched nervously this week to see what will happen.
Mary Gelpi was visiting Charlotte from New Orleans and said at the airport on Thursday that, despite a smooth travel day, she’s not sure if it will be the same next week.
"Yeah, we're anxious for sure. We flew out of Miami originally here," Gelpi said. "It was crazy in Miami, so flying back next Monday before the holiday on Tuesday, it's, we're, again, we're trying to be optimistic, but we're gonna see what happens."