What to know about the flight cancellations at US airports caused by the government shutdown

Hundreds of flights at the busiest airports in the U S are being scratched this weekend as airlines move forward with reducing air utility due to the lingering administration shutdown So far the government-ordered slowdown across the airline industry that began Friday hasn t caused any widespread disruptions But analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and be felt far beyond air excursion if the cancellations pick up and move closer to the Thanksgiving holiday Already there are concerns about the impact on cities and businesses that rely on tourism and the possibility of shipping interruptions that could delay getting holiday items on store shelves Here s what to know about the flight reductions How various flights have been canceled The first day of the Federal Aviation Administration s slowdown saw more than flights canceled according to FlightAware a website that tracks flight disruptions Over were off for Saturday typically a slow advance day Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide but they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues The FAA declared the reductions impacting all commercial airlines are starting at of flights at targeted airports and will be bumped up again on Tuesday before hitting of flights on Friday Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week that even more flight cuts might be needed if the administration shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job Why are the flights being canceled Air traffic controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month as the shutdown continues leading several to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages Majority controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay and a few are taking second jobs to pay their bills the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has revealed How are passengers being affected The majority were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule Friday and those whose flights were called off were able to hastily rebook So far international flights haven t been interrupted There s still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be canceled next I just don t want to be stranded at the airport sleeping on a bench Michele Cuthbert of Columbus Ohio noted about an upcoming flight to Dallas Rental car companies communicated a sharp increase in one-way reservations Friday and selected people are completely canceling flights altogether What could be the impacts beyond air excursion First there s the prospective for higher prices in stores as nearly half of all U S air freight is shipped in the bellies of traveler aircraft Major flight disruptions could bring higher shipping costs that get passed on to consumers commented Patrick Penfield professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University More losses will ripple through the financial market if the slowdown continues from tourism to manufacturing noted Greg Raiff CEO of Elevate Aviation Group This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to movement he stated It s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes There s a cascading effect that results from this thing Associated Press journalists Paul Wiseman in Washington Josh Funk in Omaha Nebraska and Matt Sedensky in New York contributed Source