The recommendations come after the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it would be reducing air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets to maintain safety.
Air traffic controllers are under strain during the government shutdown. Many have been working without pay, but increasingly they’re now calling off work.
The Port of Portland said it’s aware of the issue but has yet to be notified of any reductions by the FAA. The airport recommends travelers leave plenty of time to check in and get through security.
Sea-Tac Airport said it’s trying to keep operations as close to normal as possible.
Passengers should start being notified about cancellations Thursday. Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on customers, some of whom will see weekend travel plans disrupted with little notice.
United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes like Boeing 737s. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said they would offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly – even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable.
The head of Frontier Airlines recommended that travelers buy backup tickets with another airline to avoid being stranded.
Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Five major airports in California — Los Angeles International Airport, Ontario International Airport, Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, San Diego International Airport, and San Francisco International Airport — are also slated for service reductions, according to a list published by the Associated Press.
JPR's Liam Moriarty contributed to this report.
