No Juneau flights affected as nationwide cuts at airports begin under FAA mandate
- Mark Sabbatini
- 14 hours ago
- 1 min read
Anchorage, Sea-Tac among 40 airports ordered to phase in 10% reduction of flight schedule during coming week due to federal government shutdown
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Flights at Juneau International Airport were unaffected Friday morning as a nationwide reduction in flight schedules began under a mandate from the Federal Aviation Administration to 40 of the busiest airports, including those in Anchorage and Seattle.
The FAA is requiring a 4% cutback in flights starting Friday, which will rise to 6% on Tuesday, 8% on Thursday and 10% next Friday.
Alaska Airlines, the only major carrier currently serving Juneau, was not listing specific flights cancelled as of Friday morning at its website and on its social media pages. The company’s website states travelers will be notified if their flights are affected, and "if your flight is affected by a schedule change, we will move you to the next available flight."
A flexible travel policy is also in effect allowing travelers to change flight schedules without a fee, according to the airline.
The FAA states the cutback in schedules is necessary to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who have been working without pay since the federal government shutdown began on Oct. 1.
More than 800 flights were called off nationwide as of midday Friday — four times the number canceled Thursday, according to the Associated Press, citing the flight-tracking website FlightAware. Not all were due to the FAA order.
This story will be updated as events warrant.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
