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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will begin cutting flights in light of the government shutdown and low staffing. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the announcement Thursday. As a result, ‘high traffic’ parts of the country could now see less flights in the coming days. That can mean a few different things, none of which include effective travel many are used to. Travel officials said while this is a developing situation, travelers coming or going to the Coulee Region, Minnesota and Chicago are encouraged to keep a close eye on any upcoming flight plans. Some even recommend before you pack your backs to know the airport you’re traveling to, and gauge things like their TSA lines to see when is best to arrive. Other issues include flight cancellations, now impacting local travel agencies like Holiday Vacations in Eau Claire. Holiday Vacations’ Guest Travel Manager, Sonia Castillo said "We see flight cancellations and delays happening. When the delays happen, people can be rebooked and it may take a couple days to get on to tours then, at that point they make the decision is it worth the trip or do I stay home. So we’ve had people have to cancel off and use travel insurance and things like that to protect themselves." As for travelers in our neck of the woods, officials with Chippewa Valley Regional Airport said they will know more in the coming days when the air traffic cuts take place. They recommend all travelers to check with their airline for any and all upcoming flights. The same can be said for the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) at MSP. In a statement they said they are “actively monitoring updates, and as of now MSP is experiencing normal operations. However, if reductions are enacted - travelers should prepare for flight disruptions at msp and other airports across the country.” Meanwhile Sun Country Airlines said they will be adjusting flight schedules starting Friday. Castillo said this is the first time in a long time that air travel hits kind of halt. “This is the first time that I’ve seen in 10 years where the airlines are coming forward and saying they are making cuts to flight schedules. It’s nice to see that because at least we’re prepared even more. We know it’s coming, we know what carriers are doing it and at least they’re trying to give us the information we need to make good decisions on our travel,” she said. Experts also said monitoring flight status and cooperating with airline availability is important as rebooking options may be limited.
