Hundreds of flight cancellations spread across the U.S. on Friday as airlines began complying with the Federal Aviation Administration’s unprecedented order to scale down routes nationwide because of the government shutdown.
While the FAA order left some passengers scrambling to figure out backup plans, most were relieved to find their planes still on schedule as airlines slowly phase-in reductions at the nation’s busiest airports.
The 40 airports selected for the slowdown by the FAA span more than two dozen states and include hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Charlotte, according to the order.
More than 800 flights were called off nationwide—four times the number canceled Thursday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions. Not all were due to the FAA order.
Airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and Phoenix led the way with the most disruptions, FlightAware said.
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport’s Assistant Director of Aviation Louis Hubbard II told Daily Report on Thursday afternoon that the airport had not received any updates from the airlines but that due to the planned reductions, they did anticipate potential ripple effects nationwide that could lead to delays or cancellations in Baton Rouge.Â
“We encourage passengers to check their flight status directly with their airlines before coming to the airport,” Hubbard said. “If a flight is affected, the airline will typically notify passengers via email or through their app.”
