How the potential FAA flight cutdown could impact your travel out of Pittsburgh International Airport
We are now on day 37 of the federal government shutdown, and the impacts keep growing. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is stepping in with a plan to cut flights to keep travelers safe.
We spoke with an aviation expert who explained what this could mean for air travel and for Pittsburgh passengers.
This flight cut plan would begin tomorrow if the government doesn't reopen, and it would mean 10% of air traffic would be reduced across 40 high-volume airports.
Pittsburgh International and the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport aren't on that list, but the ripple effects could still be felt here.
"I travel a decent amount, so it makes me a little nervous when planning your schedule," said Liam Bennett, passenger.
TSA workers and air traffic controllers still haven't been paid -- leading to call-offs, delays, and cancellations nationwide.
The FAA says the move to reduce flights is all about safety.
To understand why, we spoke with Captain Reyne O'Shaughnessy, a commercial pilot with more than three decades of flight experience. She says this is a way to keep things safer when you're dealing with a shortage of workers, staffing issues, no paycheck, and all-around fatigue.
"When human bandwidth is maxed out, stretched -- the safest thing you can do is reduce the load," said Captain O'Shaughnessy.
She says that a 10% cut may sound small, but in aviation, it's big. Considering that every gate, crew, flight, runway, and more is connected.
Even though Pittsburgh isn't on the list, many local flights connect through major cities that will be affected.
There are more than a dozen airports where Pittsburgh travelers routinely connect, meaning local passengers could still face delays or cancellations.
"It's not just chaos at one airport. It's a domino effect across the entire airspace system. Expect congestion, missed connections, and extended crew duty days," said Captain O'Shaughnessy.
Airlines have already begun warning travelers on social media. Some passengers, like Denton Lila,c experienced last-minute flight changes with no explanation.
"I mean, definitely, I don't necessarily trust the airlines to have our best interest at heart to provide like a hotel if we need to," said Lilac.
Passengers should prepare for last-minute cancellations, rebookings, waits, and delays.
"Build in extra time getting to the airport, waiting for your flight, maybe even a canceled flight. That's the only thing you can control, because everything else in the system right now is unprecedented and unforeseen," said O'Shaughnessy.