Copyright WDIV ClickOnDetroit
The government shutdown is about to make air travel more difficult, as starting on Friday morning, the FAA will begin canceling flights out of 40 airports, including Detroit Metro Airport. On Thursday (Nov. 6), it was business as usual at Metro Airport’s McNamara Terminal as travelers shuttled through TSA to reach their flights, with a few sporadic delays. But people with trips planned going forward could be in for some trouble. “There’s definitely concerns from our clients,” David Fishman, the owner of the Cadillac Travel Group in Royal Oak, said. “They’re worried that their flight will be canceled completely, and that really created an even greater concern, and our phones started ringing even more. They were worried more about delays than anything else.” The FAA’s cuts to as many as 10% of flights have left people wondering whether their trips will go ahead. On Wednesday, the FAA announced its plan to reduce air traffic across 40 “high-volume” markets starting tomorrow morning to maintain travel safety. Metro Airport is one of Delta Airlines’ largest and most important hubs. Fishman told us that you want to stay as connected as possible with your airline and the FAA before you arrive. “I was just traveling last week, and I got the alert the night before coming to the airport to arrive three hours early to make sure that you make it through,” Fishman said. “I made it through rather quickly, but they’re never really going to be sure.” “Houston was a four-hour delay on Wednesday, and getting through TSA alone, they were lined up out the door,” Fishman added. “Airline apps are really important.” Kelvin Shaw was headed to Orlando on Thursday and said that while he doesn’t normally have any issues with Delta, he did get an alert that his flight was delayed. He’s more concerned about the return trip. “I normally travel about six, seven times a year,” Shaw said. “I haven’t noticed anything changed yet, but I also haven’t gone through security yet. My flight is a 9 a.m. flight coming back Tuesday, so I will have to adjust my schedule and get up probably a little earlier. I know my mom called me because she was concerned about me getting there and getting back, so I need to adjust accordingly.” Delta Airlines, in a statement, said they said the vast majority of their flights will go as scheduled. The airline, which has nearly 5,000 flights daily, says any cancellations will be announced 24 hours in advance, in the way they handle major Winter storms, starting with Friday, when 170 flights will be cancelled nationwide. The Airline said in a statement: “We are providing additional flexibility to all of our customers during the impacted travel period to change, cancel, or refund their flights without penalty. We will work to give customers as much notice as possible about any changes to their flights and apologize for any inconvenience these changes may cause." The shutdown is the longest in U.S. history and is precariously close to running into Thanksgiving, which is the single biggest travel weekend of the year. Fishman says that could create big problems. “It’s going to be a huge problem if they don’t come up with a solution before then,” Fishman said. ‘I hate to say it, but if it isn’t resolved, you’re going to have to start looking at potentially driving or wait until next year to see the family."
