Some flights between Canada and the U.S. are facing disruption because of the ongoing U.S. government shutdown, Porter Airlines said in a statement.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will institute flight cancellations at 40 airports on Friday, leaving airlines and travellers alike to adjust plans last minute as the government shutdown stretches on with no end in sight.
Some flights operated by Porter airlines have already been disrupted, the Canadian airline told Global News in a statement.
“Flights in and out of the U.S. have been disrupted due to FAA staffing shortages causing delays in some Porter markets,” a Porter spokesperson said.
“Our team is managing the disruptions and we encourage passengers to check their flight status at www.flyporter.com before leaving for the airport,” the statement added.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is initiating a 10 per cent reduction in capacity at 40 major U.S. airports, the department said in a statement.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that he would order the flight cuts to ensure aviation safety in the midst of a U.S. government shutdown.
The list of affected airports had not been released publically by 11 am Eastern on Thursday but the Associated Press reported, citing a copy of the list reportedly shared with airlines and obtained by the wire service, that airports impacted cover many of the busiest regions across the U.S. — including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected, AP reported.
The Washington Post, which also said it had obtained the list, described it as “preliminary.”
Speaking on FOX News on Thursday, Duffy said air travel in the U.S. was “going to be rough heading into the holidays if we are still in the shutdown.”
However, he added that “I would still be booking your flights.”
“This data-based decision is designed to alleviate pressure on our air traffic controllers required to keep the skies safe,” USDOT said in a social media post.
The shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, has forced some 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay.
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Duffy had warned on Tuesday that if the federal government shutdown continued another week, it could lead to “mass chaos” and force him to close some of the national airspace to air traffic.
Staffing shortages have already caused tens of thousands of flight delays nationwide, with U.S. airlines estimating that at least 3.2 million travellers have been affected.
Airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest were inundated with passenger queries on social media platforms like X, as flyers sought clarity on travel plans.
Impact on Canada
The U.S. flight cancellations and government shutdown may leave some Canadians wondering how that might impact their travel plans.
In August alone, 608,800 Canadians took return air trips from the U.S. according to Statistics Canada.
Global News has reached out to some of Canada’s busiest airports and biggest airlines to ask what, if any, impacts passengers should expect.
Air Canada said it is “awaiting more details on the planned reductions.”
“At this point, we are maintaining our normal schedule but for customers who may be connecting onto U.S. domestic flights operated by our partner, United Airlines, we have put in place a goodwill policy to allow them to change or defer their travel with no change fee,” the airline said in a statement.
WestJet told Global News that their operations have not been impacted yet by the shutdown, but added that they are “continuing to monitor the situation and proactively manage our operations to minimize any potential disruptions going forward.”
NAV Canada, the agency in charge of air traffic control in Canada, says they do “not anticipate any disruption to the provision of Canadian air navigation services as a result of the current government shutdown in the United States.”
“We continue to monitor cross-border operations closely and are maintaining regular coordination with our counterparts to ensure the safe and efficient management of air traffic within Canadian airspace,” NAV Canada told Global News in a statement.
“Passengers are encouraged to check directly with their airline regarding the status of their specific flight or destination,” the statement added.
Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto said they have “not noticed any impact” on their operations while Halifax International Airport is advising any passengers travelling to the U.S. to check their flight status with their airline.
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport said the airport is “fully operational, but of course, our teams are monitoring the situation closely, in collaboration with our partners.”
Edmonton International Airport warned that some Canadian travellers might face disruptions.
“This reduction may cause disruptions for Canadian travellers, and we encourage all travellers to check the status of their flights with their airline before coming to the airport,” a spokesperson for the airport told Global News in a statement.
The Vancouver Airport Authority told Global News that while the flight reductions “primarily” impact domestic travel in the U.S., “the integrated nature of how airlines utilize aircraft and crew does have the potential for knock on effects to routes between Canada and the United States.”
— with files from Global’s Sean Boynton and Reuters
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