Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
U.S. airlines began canceling hundreds of flights Nov. 7 following the Federal Aviation Administration‘s unprecedented order to to scale back nationwide and the impact is starting to hit South Carolina travelers. The FAA directed all carriers to reduce their domestic flight schedules by 4 percent at 40 of the busiest U.S. airports as a way to relieve the strain on the national aviation system as the record-long government shutdown rolls into day 38, and most likely beyond. By mid-morning, major carriers American Airlines canceled 220 flights while United Airlines planned to cut a little less than 200, USA Today reported. South Carolina airports are not included in the cuts, but travelers are likely to see the biggest delays and cancellations with connecting flights. For example, there are about 54 weekly flights from Charleston to Atlanta with Delta Air Lines providing the non-stop service, according to data from Flight Connections. There's another 22 to Charlotte with American Airlines as the only airline providing nonstop service on this route. The strain is only expected to get worse. While the FAA started at 4 percent of cuts to all commercial airlines, the agency said in a statement it would ramp up to 10 percent next week across “high-volume” markets. The move is out of safety precautions as air traffic controllers go unpaid and exhibit signs of strain working 10-hour days, 6 days a week during the shutdown, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. In South Carolina, travelers seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach with their plans. Suelynn Horaz landed at Myrtle Beach International Airport from New York with her daughters on Nov. 6. They’re staying for four days to visit family and then will fly back to New York Stewart International Airport. While she said she isn’t worried their flight back will be canceled given Stewart is a smaller airport, she already has a backup plan to rent a car and drive home if there are issues. South Carolina airports were reported single-digit cancellations and dozens of delays by noon on Nov. 7, but those stats only record direct flights. The major impact is hitting connecting flights out of those 40 hubs that travelers often fly to on the way to their final destination. Those stats are more difficult to track. Cancellations in Charlotte are also affecting parts of the Palmetto State. The North Carolina airport has reported more than 40 cancellations plus 38 delays, including one flight each to Myrtle Beach, Florence, Columbia and other cities. Atlanta, another big connecting gateway for South Carolina travelers, had more than 80 cancelled flights and161 delays Nov. 7. Many airlines focused the cuts on smaller regional flights to airports where they have multiple flights a day. Secretary Duffy said in a statement late Nov. 6 that this “isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue working without pay.” “We are taking unprecedented action because we are in an unprecedented situation with the shutdown,” Secretary Sean Duffy said on CBS the morning of Nov. 7. “I have done all I can to minimize disruption in the airspace. I’m trying to get people where they want to go and to get them there safely.” Even if the shutdown ends soon, the FAA has said it would not lift the flight restrictions until staffing at airport towers and regional air traffic center makes it safe to do so, the Associated Press reported. United spokesperson Josh Freed said more than 80 percent of the people affected by the cuts have been rebooked, with the vast majority of those scheduled to reach their destinations within four hours of their original plan, according to AP. There is a growing concern of delays impacting seasonal holiday travel later this month. On Nov. 4, the U.S. Travel Association, as well as several SC tourism organizations, urged ranking Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate to reopen the government as the tourism industry nationwide nears a $4 billion loss and a potential “Thanksgiving travel crisis.” Like most South Carolina airports, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, the Upstate’s biggest airport, has yet to feel a “significant impact” on its operations due to the government shutdown, Tom Tyra, the airport’s director of communications, said. The shutdown likely impacted two flights that were set to arrive at GSP but never did, Tyra said, noting cancellations are not uncommon this time of year due to weather and other factors. United Airlines specifically cut two flights between Dulles International Airport and Columbia Metropolitan Airport as well as two flights between Charleston International and Chicago O’Hare International, as of press time. United, Delta, Southwest and American Airlines have each said they will notify passengers of changes to their itinerary due to delayed or cancelled flights and connections, with offers to rebook passengers at no extra charge. As uncertainty persists and more carriers cut back, Tyra and airport officials across the state urge travelers to stay in contact with airlines by downloading their apps and checking their websites directly for up-to-date information. Additionally, leave extra time to get through security since the Transportation Security Administration is still facing national staffing shortages with the shutdown. “We don’t get an advance notice of when these flights go; it’s really the airlines (that) are making those decisions,” Tyra said. “We find out the same time customers find out.”
