With the country’s longest government shutdown in history now surpassing 37 days, travelers are starting to eye Thanksgiving weekend with increasing trepidation.
Air traffic controllers are among the over 1 million federal employees who are working without pay during the shutdown. This has resulted in increased staffing shortages across the country as employees start to call in sick.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the FAA will reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 major airports across the country if no shutdown deal is reached.
According to The Associated Press, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is on that list, along with Oakland International Airport (OAK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Diego International Airport (SAN), and Ontario International Airport (ONT).
This will result in flight cancellations and delays starting on Friday. Travelers should check with their airlines for updates about their flights. You can also get real-time updates on the FAA’s National Airspace System, as explained by the following tweet from the FAA.
Today, we may find out more about what that 10% cut will look like around the country and at local airports.
What’s happening at SFO
SFO released a travel notice on Thursday alerting passengers to the change. “The FAA intends to reduce air traffic starting Friday, Nov. 7th. Cuts may begin with 4% [Friday] and increase to 10% next week,” they wrote.
“Airlines will make rolling updates to schedules and notify passengers. For updates on your flight, check directly with your airline before heading to the airport.”
SF International Airport has already faced flight delays and some cancellations this week. On Wednesday, Nov. 5th, SFO had 529 total delays and 25 cancellations. On Thursday, Nov. 6th, SFO had 268 delays and 6 cancellations, according to FlightAware.
SFO released an alert clarifying that the airport’s checkpoint screening services will not be affected by the shutdown, because security scanners are Covenant Aviation Security employees, not TSA, and are therefore being paid. That means the long TSA lines at other U.S. airports may not be representative of the situation at SFO.
On Monday, SFO also began offering a free commute option for essential federal workers. Most of the airport’s food and beverage concession operators are also offering a 50% discount to federal workers.
How to prepare for potential flight delays at SFO
Forbes spoke with Chad Kendall, a professor and FAA expert, about what options passengers have to try and mitigate the impacts of shutdown-related delays. He recommended taking the following precautions:
- Book the earliest possible flight of the day – Flights departing after 9 am are more likely to be delayed.
- Avoid layovers – Every connection adds another potential for delays. If you do need to book connecting flights, avoid short layovers.
- Insure your trip – Consider a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy.
- Get to the airport early – Pad your arrival with extra time in case you get stuck in the TSA line.
- Monitor your flights – Turn on notifications and stay up to date with the latest news about your flight itinerary.