Copyright CBS News
The two major airports in North Texas will lose flights should the Federal Aviation Agency follow through with a 10% reduction in air traffic at some of the nation's busiest airports. CBS News reports that both Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport are on a preliminary list of 40 major airports that will have their air traffic cut by 10% in the coming days. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who announced the traffic cut Wednesday, said it was to cope with shortages of air traffic controllers who are working without pay amid the 36-day-long government shutdown. According to CBS News transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave, DFW averages 1,800 flights per day and Love Field averages 200 flights per day. A 10% cut means the airports could lose a combined 200 flights per day by next week. The cuts are expected to be phased in starting Friday, with airlines reaching the full 10% mark by next week, according to two CBS News sources familiar with a conversation between the FAA, the Department of Transportation, and the airlines. The FAA has not formally announced which airports will have their capacity cut, nor has it issued a final order formally requiring airlines to cut their capacity. "Look for cancellations affecting people tomorrow to be announced some time today," Van Cleave said on CBS News Texas Mornings. "The airlines are going to do that because they want to avoid people being surprised by a cancellation. Also, if that make that decision today they have a little bit more time to rebook people." American, Southwest Airlines statements on capacity cuts Both major airlines based in North Texas said they are preparing to react to the FAA's directive. A statement on the American Airlines website said: "While we are awaiting additional information from the FAA to determine which flights will be impacted, we expect the vast majority of our customers' travel will be unaffected. As schedule changes are made, we will proactively reach out to customers who are impacted. As always, we encourage all customers to check their flight status on aa.com or the mobile app. In the meantime, we continue to urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown." Dallas-based Southwest Airlines said it "is evaluating how the planned FAA flight reductions, announced on November 5 and expected to begin November 7, will affect our schedule. Southwest will communicate directly with Customers as soon as possible. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the Safety of our Customers and Employees. We know that these FAA-imposed cancellations can impact an important moment in your life. We appreciate your understanding."
