As FAA reductions reach fourth day, Bay Area airports continue to see flight cancellations, delays

"As reductions in flight traffic mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration and caused by the record-setting government shutdown stretched into their fourth day Monday, flight cancellations and delays continued at major Bay Area airports. The air traffic reductions, prompted by air traffic controller fatigue as workers remain unpaid into a second month, began with a 4% decrease Friday. Reductions were expected to rise to 10% of planned flight traffic throughout this week."

"As of noon on Monday, 39 flights had been canceled throughout the day at SFO, making up a total of 3% of the airport's traffic, said spokesperson Doug Yakel. About 123 flights or 10% of airport traffic were delayed, with delays averaging about 35 minutes primarily on short-haul West Coast flights. He noted that the weather outlook was good. The majority of these reductions are being made in advance, allowing airlines to proactively notify customers before their day of travel, Yakel said."

FAA-mandated reductions in flight traffic expanded as a government shutdown left air traffic controllers unpaid and fatigued, prompting mandatory overtime. Reductions began at 4% and were expected to reach 10% of planned traffic this week, primarily affecting 40 high-traffic airports including San Francisco International and Oakland. SFO recorded 39 cancellations (3% of traffic) and about 123 delays (10% of traffic), with average delays around 35 minutes on short-haul West Coast flights. OAK reported 13 cancellations and multiple delays over 30 minutes while San Jose began experiencing ripple effects from other airports' cancellations. Airlines are proactively notifying customers.

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