{"id":360716,"date":"2025-11-06T22:01:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T22:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/360716\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T22:01:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T22:01:11","slug":"flight-cancellations-accelerate-at-phoenix-sky-harbor-what-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/360716\/","title":{"rendered":"Flight cancellations accelerate at Phoenix Sky Harbor; what to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 U.S. airlines began canceling hundreds of flights Thursday due to the\u00a0Federal Aviation Administration\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0order to reduce traffic at the country\u2019s busiest airports starting Friday because of the government shutdown.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0FAA<\/a>\u00a0has ordered airlines to phase in a 10% reduction in their flight schedules at 40 of the busiest airports across more than two dozen states, including Phoenix Sky Harbor.<\/p>\n

The disruptions will affect service at many smaller airports, too, and on Thursday some travelers began changing or canceling their itineraries preemptively.<\/p>\n

Nearly 500 flights scheduled for Friday were already cut nationwide, and the number of cancellations climbed throughout Thursday afternoon, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions. That\u2019s more than four times the number of flights canceled on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Airlines were scrambling to figure out where to cut, and travelers with plans for the weekend and beyond\u00a0waited nervously<\/a>\u00a0to see if their flights would take off as scheduled.<\/p>\n

The affected airports include busy connecting hubs and those in popular tourist destinations, including Atlanta, Denver, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities \u2014 such as New York, Houston and Chicago \u2014 multiple airports will be affected.<\/p>\n

Airlines will\u00a0phase in the cuts<\/a>\u00a0at the direction of the FAA, starting with eliminating 4% of flights at the 40 airports on Friday and working up to 10%, according to three people familiar with what the agency said, but who were not authorized to discuss it publicly.<\/p>\n

United Airlines will cut 4% of its flights over the weekend based on FAA guidance, said company spokesperson Josh Freed.<\/p>\n

The FAA had not yet published an official order as of midday Thursday and didn\u2019t immediately respond to questions about implementation details.<\/p>\n

Some airlines plan to focus on slashing routes to and from small and medium-sized cities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to have a\u00a0noticeable impact across the U.S.<\/a>\u00a0air transportation system,\u201d industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said.<\/p>\n

What to do if you\u2019re facing flight disruptions during the government shutdown<\/p>\n

Staffing shortages have caused flight delays at a growing number of airports as disruptions pile up nationwide.\u00a0Here is what to know about your rights as a passenger.<\/a><\/p>\n