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Travelers flying out of DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field may experience longer security wait times, delays, or flight cancellations because of the continued government shutdown. The two airports are also impacted by the Federal Aviation Administration’s new restrictions due to staffing shortages. What’s causing the air travel disruptions? Big picture view: Due to the continued government shutdown, the FAA announced airlines should reduce flights by at least 4% starting on Friday. That number increases by 1% each day until it hits a 10% reduction next week. The agency said the cutbacks are necessary and will relieve pressure on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and air traffic controllers working without pay for more than a month. Authorities add that many employees are pulling six-day work weeks with mandatory overtime, and more and more are calling in sick. The U.S. Transportation Secretary called it a "proactive move." American Airlines said the cuts will result in about 220 cancellations out of about 6,000 daily flights. Delta expects to cancel 170 flights on Friday, and United is canceling around 200. Local perspective: FOX 4 reporter Payton May said all seemed to be going well at the big airport on Friday morning. TSA wait times were normal. Some travelers she talked to showed up three hours before their flight on Friday morning because they were worried about getting through security. Others said they had been constantly refreshing their airline app to get flight updates. "All last night I just kept checking and early this morning I woke up and was like, ‘Let’s make sure that we still have a flight to go on. So, yeah, it’s been a little stressful. But we’re here," said Ryan and Kim Dorn, who are traveling to Mexico. How to check for flight delays Travelers can check TSA wait times by: Visiting the links provided on the MyTSA App. Checking your airport’s official website. Googling your airport name and typing "security wait times" for a direct link. DFW TSA Wait Times You can check DFW Airport's TSA security checkpoint wait times by clicking this link: Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW). The wait times for Dallas Love Field are available by clicking this link: Dallas Love Field (DAL) TSA Wait Times in Texas Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) Austin-Bergstrom International (AUS) Dallas Love Field (DAL) Houston Hobby (HOU) San Antonio International (SAT) El Paso International (ELP) Amarillo (AMA) Midland International (MAF) McAllen International Officials are still warning fliers that the times shown are estimates, and actual security lines could be longer. The TSA provides this data primarily through the MyTSA mobile application. Click here to download My TSA App. FAA flight delays & air traffic reduction impacts The 10% reduction in air traffic is a proactive measure, according to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, who stated the agency "is not going to wait for a problem to act," citing the staffing pressures from the shutdown. As of Wednesday, the flight tracking site FlightAware.com reported over 1,000 flight delays within, into, or out of the U.S., with 90 flights canceled. Aviation unions and the travel industry are urging Congress to end the shutdown swiftly by voting on the clean funding resolution proposed by Republicans. The U.S. Travel Association noted this week that the economy has already lost over $4 billion, and the industry fears the impact will worsen if the shutdown extends into the holiday travel season. Related What airports are cutting flights? In Texas, DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field, as well as the two airports in Houston (George Bush Houston Intercontinental and Houston Hobby) are affected by the FAA restrictions. The full list of affected airports includes: Anchorage International in Alaska Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia Boston Logan International in Massachusetts Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Kentucky Dallas Love Field in Texas Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia Denver International in Colorado Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan Newark Liberty International in New Jersey Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida Honolulu International in Hawaii Houston Hobby in Texas Washington Dulles International in Virginia George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas Indianapolis International in Indiana John F. Kennedy International in New York Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas Los Angeles International in California LaGuardia Airport in New York Orlando International in Florida Chicago Midway International in Illinois Memphis International in Tennessee Miami International in Florida Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota Oakland International in California Ontario International in California Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois Portland International in Oregon Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona San Diego International in California Louisville International in Kentucky Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington San Francisco International in California Salt Lake City International in Utah Teterboro in New Jersey Tampa International in Florida Why did the government shut down? The government shutdown, now in its 37th day, is the longest in U.S. history. It began after Republicans passed a short-term funding measure through Nov. 21, which Democrats rejected. Democrats insist any measure must address their concerns regarding healthcare, specifically reversing Medicaid cuts from a major bill passed this summer and extending tax credits that lower health insurance premiums under the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
