Copyright Anchorage Daily News
Alaska Airlines said it will work to rebook passengers or provide refunds for canceled flights after the Federal Aviation Administration called for a reduction in flights nationwide starting Friday. Other major U.S. airlines are also offering refunds after the FAA issued an order to reduce air traffic at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, including Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, as the government shutdown drags on. Frequent destinations from Alaska airports, including Seattle-Tacoma, Portland and Honolulu international airports, are also part of the cuts, potentially adding to the difficulties for Alaska travelers. Several delays have already occurred at airports across the U.S. amid the shortage in available controllers, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy earlier this week predicted “mass chaos” if the shutdown continues for longer. Nationally, the cuts could affect up to 1,800 flights and 268,000 passengers each day, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics firm. Alaska Airlines, the dominant carrier in Alaska, said it will strive to prevent disruptions in flight-dependent communities. The airline did not respond to a question on Thursday about which routes tied to the Anchorage airport will see cancellations. Airlines are expected to phase in the cuts before reaching the mandated 10% reduction. “We are sorry for this unexpected disruption,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement Thursday. “As we assessed the FAA’s directive and our schedule, we worked to ensure smaller and remote communities that are reliant upon air travel are protected,” the airline said. “Most of our cancelations are on routes with a higher frequency of flights, allowing most guests to be reaccommodated with as little disruption as possible.” “Guests whose flights are canceled will be reaccommodated on other flights as available or offered a full refund,” the airline said. “Those whose flights are impacted will receive communication directly from Alaska and Hawaiian.” The airline has also issued a flexible travel policy allowing guests to adjust their travel, the statement said. The FAA issued a directive for the reduced flights as the government shutdown, the longest in history at 37 days on Thursday, is beginning to take a toll on air traffic controllers who increasingly are not coming into work after working without pay. United, Delta and American have also issued refund policies associated with the shutdown. “We continue to strongly urge our federal leaders to reach an immediate resolution and end the shutdown,” Alaska Airlines said in its statement. As for the Anchorage international airport, it remains fully operational, said Teri Lindseth, development manager for the Alaska International Airport System. “All safety and security functions continue without interruption,” she said in the statement. “We are working closely with our federal partners and airline representatives to minimize any impacts to passengers and cargo operations. Passengers with questions about specific flights should contact their airline directly.” Related coverage: Anchorage International among 40 US airports targeted by FAA for shutdown-related flight cuts These are the airports that will reduce flights during government shutdown
