Thousands of Travelers Furious Over Hundreds of Flight Cancellations

Hundreds of flight cancellations spread across the U.S. at the close of the week as airlines began complying with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) unprecedented order to scale down routes nationwide because of the government shutdown, Josh Funk and Rio Yamat reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The FAA ordered more than 800 flights to be canceled nationwide.

While the FAA order left some passengers scrambling to figure out backup plans, most travelers were relieved to find their planes still on schedule as airlines slowly phased 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 major hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, North Carolina, according to the order.

More than 800 flights were canceled nationwide — four times the number scrapped on Thursday, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.

Not all cancellations were due to the FAA order. Airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, and Phoenix recorded the most disruptions, FlightAware said. Not all travelers were as fortunate, though.