With the ongoing federal government shutdown causing staffing concerns among air-traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that flight capacity will be cut by 10% at 40 high-volume airports across the country.
No specifics were immediately released about which airports would be affected by the cuts, which could begin as early as Friday if there is no resolution to the political stalemate in Washington. Los Angeles International Airport is among the top five busiest airfields in the nation.
“I anticipate there will be additional disruptions,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a Washington, D.C., news conference Wednesday afternoon. “There will be frustration. We are working with the airlines. They’re going to work with passengers. But in the end, our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible.
“… There’s going to be a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations,” Duffy said. “… This is data-based. This is not based on what airline travels or has more flights out of what location. This is about where’s the pressure and how do we alleviate the pressure.”