MSP among 40 airports to see flight cuts from shutdown

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is among the 40 airports nationally slated to see air traffic reductions because of the ongoing federal government shutdown, a move analysts predict will cause wide disruptions.

As the government works to cut 10% of air traffic at the 40 airports starting Friday, Delta Air Lines is preparing to scale back operations at MSP to align with the new safety directive tied to the shutdown.

On Friday, Delta, which runs 5,000 departures per day, is canceling approximately 170 flights across its network. Saturday’s cancellations are expected to be fewer because of less travel demand.

The airline is canceling flights a day in advance to avoid customers finding out at the airport.

Following suit with other major airlines, Delta said Thursday it would work with customers to minimize impact and said the “vast majority” of its flights, including international, would operate as scheduled across its network, including its major hub at MSP.

The airport’s dominant airline is offering customers the opportunity to change or cancel for free any flight affected by the mandate.

As of Thursday afternoon, the flight-tracking website FlightAware counted 17 canceled flights, including 12 for Delta and its wholly owned subsidiary Endeavor Air. Flight cancellations were affecting inbound and outbound traffic connecting with Duluth; Minot, N.D.; Green Bay, Wis.; Rochester, N.Y.; and Kansas City, Mo.

The Metropolitan Airports Commission is “actively monitoring” FAA updates and advising travelers to prepare for flight disruptions at MSP should the cuts take effect Friday, a spokesman said.

Airlines were deciding how to distribute the cuts across their operations. For example, United Airlines plans to focus its cuts on regional and other domestic flights away from its central hubs.

Minnesota-based Sun Country Airlines, the second-biggest airline at MSP, said the company would be working with customers directly whose flights were affected.

Airlines are advising travelers to pay attention to and check their flight status through their websites and apps.

How the flight reductions will be implemented began to take shape Thursday morning as airlines contended with a directive from the Federal Aviation Administration to remove 10% of capacity from 40 of the nation’s busiest airports.

Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Wednesday the move to reduce capacity from the airspace was meant to alleviate pressure from the nation’s already-strained air traffic control system.

Bedford said the move would help fatigued air traffic controllers. Duffy has warned that a continued shutdown would lead to closing airspace if the safety of the system came into question.

The impact on air travel has again become a political flashpoint amid the partisan impasse in Congress. Trump administration officials have cast blame for the gridlock squarely on Democrats, while Democrats are blaming Republicans.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, called for President Donald Trump and Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to negotiate with her caucus and broker an end to the shutdown.

“Minnesotans are working hard trying to figure out how to afford their lives, especially health insurance. I won’t vote for a bill that hurts Minnesotans and does nothing to make life more affordable,” Smith said.

“Safety is not a political game,” Sara Nelson, Association of Flight Attendants union president, said in a statement. “Recent events in aviation should sober us all and redirect an urgent call to work together to keep Americans safe.”

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said the decision would end with long delays and more disruption.

“All government shutdowns are irresponsible and this decision underscores the urgent need to reopen the government,” Freeman said. “The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system, forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the U.S. air travel experience.”

Analysts say the moves are bound to cause widespread travel headaches as the cuts take effect.

Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at San Francisco-based Atmosphere Research Group, said that because the FAA did not give airlines advance notice about the restrictions, he expects airlines’ reactions to be “fluid” through the weekend, with new announcements on disruptions made daily.