American airports were hit by mounting delays on Thursday morning, with less than 24 hours until the White House begins to cancel up to 10 percent of daily flights because of the longest government shutdown in history.
There were already 269 cancellations and 576 delays as of 7.30am eastern standard time, offering a stark warning of the havoc travelers can anticipate at airports over the coming days.
The Federal Aviation Administration is reducing air traffic by 10 percent across 40 'high-volume' markets beginning Friday to maintain travel safety as air traffic controllers exhibit signs of strain amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Experts predict the cutback could represent as many as 1,800 flights a day and upwards of 268,000 seats combined.
Airlines have already started warning customers that their travel plans could be impacted by the flight reductions.
Some air carriers are even offering all travelers, including those with non-refundable tickets, the option to voluntarily cancel their trip and receive a refund.
Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began October 1, and most have been on duty six days a week while putting in mandatory overtime. If the shutdown continues until next Tuesday, they'll miss a second paycheck.
With some calling out of work due to frustration, taking second jobs or not having money for child care or gas, staffing shortages during some shifts have led to flight delays at a number of US airports.
The FAA cutback stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide because the FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily.
The flight shortages will affect the three major airports in the NYC area - JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty - as well as airports in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Washington DC.
United, Southwest and American all said they will try to minimize the impact on consumers as they cut their schedules to comply with the order.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said he and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy decided to make the extraordinary cutback to maintain travel safety.
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