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CLEVELAND, Ohio – A handful of flight cancellations hit Cleveland Hopkins International Airport Friday, as airlines began complying with a federal mandate to reduce domestic flying amid mounting concerns about staffing shortages and air traffic controller fatigue. The airport’s website showed seven flight cancellations as of Friday morning, including routes to Chicago, New York City and Washington, D.C. Travelers were advised to check their flight’s status before heading to the airport. Related: Cleveland travelers could feel fallout as FAA orders flight reductions at dozens of U.S. airports Nationwide, more than 800 flights have been canceled, according to FlightAware, with Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth among the hardest-hit hubs. The cancellations mark the first visible effects of the Federal Aviation Administration’s order requiring airlines to cut flight operations by 10% at 40 airports, a move designed to ease pressure on overworked controllers who continue to staff towers and control centers without pay during the ongoing government shutdown. According to the emergency order released Thursday evening, the cutbacks will be phased in gradually, beginning with a 4% reduction on Friday, followed by 6% by Tuesday, 8% by Thursday and the full 10% reduction by Nov. 14. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy defended the decision, saying the reductions were based on safety data, not politics. “This isn’t about politics -- it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay,” Duffy said in a statement Thursday as officials released more details about how the cuts would be implemented. “It’s safe to fly today, and it will continue to be safe to fly next week because of the proactive actions we are taking.” While Cleveland Hopkins was not among the 40 airports directly targeted by the FAA’s reduction order, local travelers here will feel the ripple effects. Airlines have begun adjusting schedules across their networks to comply with the nationwide cuts. Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle earlier this week warned passengers to prepare for potential disruptions and even recommended booking backup flights. “If you are flying Friday or in the next 10 days and need to be there or don’t want to be stranded, I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another carrier,” Biffle wrote on social media Wednesday. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford called the reductions “unprecedented” but said they were necessary to maintain safety standards. “We’re starting to see evidence that fatigue is building in the system in ways that we feel we need to relieve some of that pressure,” he said. Airlines including United, Delta and American have indicated that most of the reductions will affect short-haul and regional routes rather than long-distance or international flights. United CEO Scott Kirby said the carrier will continue to offer refunds, even on nonrefundable tickets, for customers who prefer not to travel during the cutback period.
