As the government shutdown stretches on, becoming the longest in U.S. history, major airports across the country are bracing for flight delays and cancellations ahead of Thanksgiving, the busiest travel weekend of the year.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that, unless a deal is reached, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 major U.S. airports starting Friday. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is on the list published by The Associated Press today.
In California, the restrictions will also affect San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Diego International Airport (SAN), Oakland International Airport (OAK), and Ontario International Airport (ONT).
This will result in flight cancellations and delays starting on Friday. Travelers should check with their airlines for updates about their flights. You can also get real-time updates on the FAA’s National Airspace System, as explained by the following tweet from the FAA.
What’s happening at LAX
Air traffic controllers are among the over 1 million federal employees working without pay. On Sunday, both LAX and San Diego International Airport experienced average delays of over an hour.
According to FlightAware, a total of 211 flights were delayed and 7 were canceled at LAX yesterday, Wednesday, Nov. 5. These numbers are up from the previous three days.
TSA has an app where you can see the latest TSA wait times as well as historic data. Recent comments on a Reddit thread have reported normal lines at TSA over the last 3 days or so.
Travel precautions to take during the shutdown
The pressure on airports is mounting as holiday travel approaches. With millions expected to fly for Thanksgiving, delays could increase, lines could grow longer, and cancellations may become more frequent.
Forbes spoke with professor and FAA expert Chad Kendall about how passengers may reduce these impacts when booking flights during the shutdown. Kendall recommends taking the following precautions:
- Book the earliest possible flight of the day – Flights departing after 9am are more likely to be delayed.
- Avoid layovers – Every connection adds another potential for delays. If you do need to book connecting flights, avoid short layovers.
- Insure your trip – Consider a “Cancel for Any Reason” policy.
- Get to the airport early – Pad your arrival with extra time in case you get stuck in the TSA line.
- Monitor your flights – Turn on notifications and stay up to date with the latest news about your flight itinerary.
If traveling to LAX via L.A. Metro, read our article for some tips about how to stay informed with Ride App Alerts.
Written by Sofia Delpueche and Jamie Ferrell