The Federal Aviation Administration is cutting 10% of flights at many of the nation's busiest airports across the country starting Friday. This includes Logan International Airport in Boston, which will affect Massachusetts residents as well as people across New England who travel through the popular airport.
The FAA said the cuts are happening to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers during the ongoing government shutdown. Mark Schieldrop, a spokesperson for AAA Northeast, said there is a potential for increased delays and cancellation of flights. He says the hope is airlines step up to assist passengers.
"We're relying on the airlines to have good communication with ticket holders and accommodate travelers who have had some sort of travel disruption as a result,” Schieldrop said.
Schieldrop recommends downloading the individual airline app to get updates about flight delays or cancellations in real time.
He said he wouldn’t be surprised if most folks in Massachusetts decided to drive instead of dealing with the uncertainty of their flight potentially being canceled or delayed. He said gas prices are pretty low right now at $3 per gallon.
The Connecticut Airport Authority which operates Bradley International Airport near Hartford said in a statement that while they have not been notified by the FAA of having cuts, their “airline partners operate daily flights between Bradley and some of the major locations expected to be impacted.”
They suggest passengers flying in the coming days should check the status of their flight with their airline before coming to the airport.
