FAA will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 'high-volume' markets

"The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it would reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 "high-volume" markets beginning Friday morning to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown. The reduction stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide because the FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily, including commercial passenger flights, cargo planes and private aircraft. The FAA ranks Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport 45th by passenger traffic and San Francisco International 13th."

"Asked whether OAK would be impacted by the traffic reductions, Kaley Skantz, an OAK spokesperson, said, "Our team "does not have any information about this at this time." A spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, the largest carrier at OAK, said "We don't have station-specific information available yet." FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would release a list of impacted airports on Thursday. Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1."

"With some calling out of work, staffing shortages during some shifts have led to flight delays at a number of U.S. airports. Citing growing staffing pressures, Bedford said the agency would not wait for a crisis to act. "We can't ignore it," he said. Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said they would meet with airline executives later Wednesday to determine how to safely implement the reduction in flights."

Federal Aviation Administration will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets beginning Friday morning to maintain safety during the government shutdown. The reduction could affect thousands of flights nationwide because the FAA directs over 44,000 daily flights including commercial, cargo and private aircraft. The FAA ranks Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport 45th and San Francisco International 13th by passenger traffic. Some airport spokespeople and carriers reported no station-specific information yet. Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since Oct. 1, causing staffing shortages, shift absences and flight delays. FAA officials warned they may take additional measures if pressures continue to build.

Read at The Oaklandside