San Diego braces for federally mandated flight cuts amid government shutdown

Federally mandated air traffic reductions of as much as 10% are set to take place Friday, affecting San Diego and dozens of other major airports across the country, as part of an effort to ensure travel safety during the government shutdown.

Airlines are trying to manage expectations of their customers, with some announcing refund and change policies online. But the reality is that cancellations will occur as carriers work to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration cuts, which affect what are described as 40 “high-volume” airports.

Across the country, the cuts could affect as many as 1,800 flights and up to 268,000 seats, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium. At San Diego International Airport, where there are 600 arriving and departing flights daily, a 10% reduction translates to as many as 60 cancellations a day. Given the nationwide slowdown, though, there’s likely to be a ripple effect that could affect even more flights.

San Diego International Airport issued a statement Thursday confirming that it would be affected by the cutback and urged passengers to check with airlines on their flight status. It also advised people to show up no less than two hours before their flights.

“We also ask our passengers to exercise patience as airlines work to adjust flight schedules in the wake of this latest disruption,” the airport said. “We appreciate the ongoing commitment from TSA, FAA and our partner airlines to maintain the safety and reliability of the national transportation system during this challenging time.”

Understandably, airlines have been scrambling to adjust flight schedules to respond to the FAA action, which was taken amid growing pressures on air traffic controllers who have gone a month without pay because of the shutdown, and in some cases are not coming to work.

Southwest Airlines, which is San Diego’s single largest carrier with the highest volume of flights, issued a statement Thursday stating that it is currently making schedule adjustments to meet the FAA’s flight reductions.

“While the vast majority of our customers’ flights will not be disrupted, all Southwest customers, with travel booked through next Wednesday, November 12, may adjust their travel plans at no cost, or receive a refund if they choose not to travel, regardless of whether their flight is affected. We will communicate directly with affected customers as soon as possible.”

Southwest CEO Bob Jordan had been in San Diego on Wednesday with his commercial leadership team for a multiday visit, but top level executives returned to the airline’s headquarters in Dallas in the wake of the looming flight cuts.

Cancellations for Friday were already starting to show up at the San Diego airport. According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, there were 25 cancellations of arriving and departing flights by late afternoon, compared to just two on Thursday. Nationwide, the number had grown to more than 740.

Alaska Airlines, which boasts the most nonstop destinations out of San Diego, said Thursday it had begun canceling flights in response to the federal directive.

“The FAA’s directive is expected to remain in place until further guidance is issued and the shutdown concludes,” the airline said. “International flying is not expected to be impacted … Guests whose flights are canceled will be reaccommodated on other flights as available or offered a full refund. Those whose flights are impacted will receive communication directly from Alaska and Hawaiian. We have also issued a flexible travel policy that allows guests to adjust their travel during this uncertain time.”

Other larger airlines, like United and American, are also offering accommodations for travelers, even if their flights are not affected. American Airlines, for example, posted on its website that in order to provide more flexibility for travelers during the coming disruption, “customers whose flights are cancelled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund without any penalty.”

United noted that its international flights would not be affected nor its domestic routes between its hubs, which include Los Angeles and San Francisco, but not San Diego. Like American, the airline said travelers can seek refunds for their scheduled flights even if they’re not affected.

Nationally, flight reductions are expected to be phased in, beginning with 4% cuts on Friday and ramping up to 10% next week, various news outlets were reporting Thursday.

“The airlines still don’t have all the information they need from the FAA,” said airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, president of San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research Group. “The frustration is beyond anything I’ve heard ever. This is a government-forced edict, and the airlines are trying to respond to it and they’re very frustrated they’re not getting more information from the FAA. It’s because of this you’re seeing this confusion, so that’s why it’s a highly fluid environment.”

In a news conference Wednesday outlining the measures to be taken, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the government could no longer ignore the pressures it is seeing on air traffic controllers at major airports.

“We’re trying to lean into the fact that when we see pressures building in these 40 markets, we just can’t ignore it,” Bedford said. “We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating.”

The forced reduction of flights is viewed as an unprecedented move in recent history.

“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in aviation where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” Bedford acknowledged. “Then again, we’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”

Harteveldt offered some advice for those who may have some flexibility in their travel plans.

“If you don’t have to really travel during the next few days, cancel your flights so that the seats are available to those who must travel,” he said. “It’s going to be very fluid and uncertain and a chaotic environment through the next days. Airlines are still awaiting more guidance from the FAA because they don’t know yet when they’re supposed to hit that 10% number.

“If you do have to fly, make sure you have your airline’s mobile app downloaded, have the airline’s URL, and create accounts with those airlines to access your reservation easily. The airlines are proactively notifying customers so be on the lookout for emails and text alerts and make sure to opt into receiving those alerts even if you booked with an online travel agency.”