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Travelers are feeling worried about upcoming flights after the Federal Aviation Administration announced it will slash capacity at 40 "high traffic" locations starting Friday. The administration has not yet announced where the 10% cut to daily flights would be made, but the move comes as aviation officials seek to ease pressure on air traffic controllers amid the government shutdown. The FAAissued an alert Thursday morning saying passengers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport could expect delays of 45 to 90 minutes or more due to what it called "staffing" problems. A record-long shutdown has added to the fatigue plaguing air traffic controllers, critical federal workers who were already grappling with a staffing shortage before the shutdown. The cuts will start to take effect on Friday, day 37 of the shutdown, and just ahead of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest air travel periods of the year. Airlines were told by Department of Transportation officials Wednesday night that flight cuts would start at 4% Friday, 5% Saturday and ramp up to 10% next week, two airline sources told NBC News. And though all seemed calm on Thursday morning at Terminal B of the constantly buzzing LaGuardia International Airport, people told NBC News they were already concerned about what would happen as the holidays approached, with no solution in sight. Delay after delay on Thursday left Jon Pax, 26, worried he wouldn't make his connection home to Madison, Wisconsin. In New York City for work, Pax said he was considering rental cars or rideshare options in case he ended up stranded in Chicago. He’s already considering changing his Thanksgiving plans. "We're gonna drive from Wisconsin to Cleveland, which is normally a quick flight, but it's gonna be an eight or nine-hour drive instead," Pax said. Pax feels that lawmakers needed to "figure it out" regarding the ongoing government shutdown. It's more than a political game, and it's "bogus" how many air traffic controllers and TSA employees are working without pay. "Especially as the shutdowns extend and become longer and longer, it just puts so much more of a financial strain on people, right?" Pax said. "You know, in an ideal world, right, everyone has their six-month emergency fund and whatever, but that's just like, not the case in today's day and age.” For Andy Ademe, 35, the shutdown is just adding more stress around airline travel. "I had some hesitancy about flying out for this business trip, because I'm actually going on vacation with my family tomorrow," Ademe said. "So I've already had an hour of delays today, not related to the shutdown, just mechanical, but it's definitely been a concern of mine." Ademe appreciates the federal workers with essential jobs who are still showing up to keep the airport running, even though it "sucks" that they're working without pay. "It's difficult times already for people, and government workers are always bearing the brunt of it, so it'd be nice if things can get figured out for them," Ademe said. Will the shutdown cause turbulence for airline earnings? Airlines had been hoping to build on the momentum that led to a successful third quarter, but it's uncertain whether the year-end forecasts will weather the political storm. United Airlines reported that its third quarter, which ended in September, exceeded expectations, with operating revenue growing 2.6% year over year to $15.2 billion. It boasted that the company could thrive in an "economically volatile year." The airlines added that they expected the end of the year to "have the highest total operating revenue for a single quarter in company history," according to a press release. But in an Oct. 16 earnings call, United CEO and Director J. Scott Kirby told shareholders that he was not sure how the shutdown would affect the business. "But every day that goes by, the risk to the U.S. economy grows," Kirby said. "So I hope we will avoid an unforced error here." Delta Airlines, which reported a record September quarter revenue of $15.2 billion, appeared less concerned in its own Oct. 9 earnings call. Glen William Hauenstein said at the time that the company had not seen a material impact, though the shutdown was just over a week in. Hauenstein still said that Delta expected a revenue growth of 2 to 4% for the December quarter. American Airlines' earnings call happened later in the month, 23 days into the government shutdown. CEO Robert Isom said he was in "constant contact" with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy as the company loses less than $1 million a day in revenue. "So the impact, while it’s there, is something that I’m quite confident when the government reopens, there’s going to be some pent-up demand," Isom said. "And hopefully, we get back on track pretty quick." But airlines are now being asked to collaborate in an effort to "reduce their schedules pro rata through the day," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Wednesday. Reducing flights is a 'proactive' measure The locations impacted were chosen based on data, Bedford had said, including voluntary safety disclosure reports from commercial air transport pilots that revealed fatigue-related pressure points. Bedford described the FAA action as "proactive." Should the shutdown end soon, Bedford had said that the cuts would end when there’s a "return to controller performance" at pre-shutdown levels. Should things worsen, Bedford said additional measures could be taken in specific markets. Delta said in a statement Thursday that it "expects to operate the vast majority of our flights as scheduled, including all long-haul international service, and will work to minimize customer impact while keeping safety our top priority." Delta said it would provide "additional flexibility" to passengers, including the ability to change, cancel or refund flights with no extra charge. American Airlines offered customers a similar option to change their flight or request a refund without any penalty. The airline said in a statement Thursday that the "vast majority" of travel will be unaffected, but it will reach out to those affected. Disrupting plans is "the last thing we want to do," American Airlines said. "In the meantime, we continue to urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown," the statement added.
