Copyright Live 5 News WCSC
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - Over 40 flights to and from Charleston International Airport have been canceled as flight restrictions at major airports spill over into the Lowcountry. As of Monday morning, 19 arriving flights and 22 departures have been canceled, with origins and destinations largely centered on major flight and layover destinations. These are including, but are not limited to, flights between Charleston International Airport and airports in Charlotte, Chicago, Atlanta and the Washington, D.C. area. Beyond cancellations, there are 21more delays on flights scheduled for the day, with destinations largely of the same size and caliber. Numbers for both cancellations and delays are expected to fluctuate and grow throughout the day. This comes as flights to and from 40 major, high-traffic airports in the United States have been limited because of the ongoing government shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the Federal Aviation Administration flight restrictions amid a growing number of shortages in air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay alongside other federal workers whose incomes were shut down with the government. More than 2,000 flights have been canceled and over 10,000 delayed across the country because of this. Over the weekend, the Senate reached a bipartisan deal that saw eight moderate Democrats in total join with Republicans on a short-term spending bill. It does not include the health care subsidies they had been holding out for, but it does put plans in place to fund the government through January and to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program through September next year, regardless of whether the government remains open. This plan also undoes mass firings initiated by the Trump administration during the shutdown and puts the framework in place to prevent such firings from occurring again. It comes with a promise to get to work on bipartisan health care subsidies as well, hoping to avoid a lapse in coverage for Americans whose benefits will expire come Jan. 1. The House is not scheduled to return to Capitol Hill until next week as the Senate continues to complete procedural steps needed to move the bill forward. Duffy has warned that, should the government remain closed, Thanksgiving travel could be strained significantly, slowing to “a trickle.” As for travel in the Lowcountry, the Charleston International Airport released a statement ahead of Friday, when the restrictions began to take effect: “Beginning Friday, November 7, the FAA has directed airlines to temporarily reduce flight schedules across 40 major U.S. airports due to the ongoing government shutdown. Charleston International Airport (CHS) is not on the FAA’s list of affected airports, but several of our nonstop destinations are, which may affect your travel day. Passengers with upcoming flights should check with their airline for the latest information, as schedules may be adjusted. CHS remains fully operational, and we are grateful for our TSA and Air Traffic Control teams for their continued commitment to keeping passengers moving safely during this time.” Those with travel plans involving Charleston International Airport can check the status of their flight here. The full expected impact, if any, of the ongoing shutdown and the related flight restrictions on upcoming holiday travel, remain unknown at this time.
