Planning to fly out of Denver starting Friday?
Just make sure you check your email, airline app or website to track whether your flight will be one of those caught up in the latest change by the federal government shutdown.
After scrambling to address the Federal Aviation Administration request on Wednesday to reduce air traffic by 10%, United Airlines, which has a hub at Denver International Airport, said Thursday that they’ve canceled 4% of flights through Sunday, “as per guidance from the FAA” through the weekend, said spokesperson Russell Carlton.
“This represents about 20 roundtrip flights a day in Denver, which will primarily be United Express flights,” he said. United averages about 550 departures a day from Denver.
Travelers on affected flights have already been notified, he added, and any customer expecting to fly soon is eligible to cancel for a full refund even if their flight isn’t impacted. Late Thursday, the company listed all the impacted flights on its website.
International flights and flights between United hubs are not impacted by the FAA order. Other United hubs are in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
All airlines operating out of DIA are also telling customers directly of changes to flights and encouraging everyone to check online and on mobile apps first. Most share Southwest Airlines’ outlook in that the “vast majority” of their customers will not be impacted.
Southwest, too, is offering customers to change travel plans at no cost or get a refund if they cancel for flights booked through Nov. 12. But in an update, the company added: “We continue to urge Congress to immediately resolve its impasse and restore the National Airspace System to its full capacity.”
A new effort to end the shutdown, which is now in day 37 and is the longest in the nation’s history, looked a bit more promising on Thursday as Senate Majority Leader John Thune planned to keep the Senate in session to address a new bipartisan package of funding bills.
The day before, the FAA had told 40 of the busiest U.S. airports to reduce air traffic by 10% starting Friday due to staffing shortages stemming from the ongoing government shutdown.
Nationwide, about 13,000 air traffic controllers, already a stressed-out occupation, have been working without pay, like other essential federal workers, since Oct. 1.
Here are the 40 airports, according to the Associated Press:
- Anchorage International in Alaska
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia
- Boston Logan International in Massachusetts
- Baltimore/Washington International in Maryland
- Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina
- Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International in Ohio
- Dallas Love Field in Texas
- Ronald Reagan Washington National in Virginia
- Denver International in Colorado
- Dallas/Fort Worth International in Texas
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County in Michigan
- Newark Liberty International in New Jersey
- Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International in Florida
- Honolulu International in Hawaii
- Houston Hobby in Texas
- Washington Dulles International in Virginia
- George Bush Houston Intercontinental in Texas
- Indianapolis International in Indiana
- John F. Kennedy International in New York
- Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas
- Los Angeles International in California
- LaGuardia Airport in New York
- Orlando International in Florida
- Chicago Midway International in Illinois
- Memphis International in Tennessee
- Miami International in Florida
- Minneapolis/St Paul International in Minnesota
- Oakland International in California
- Ontario International in California
- Chicago O`Hare International in Illinois
- Portland International in Oregon
- Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania
- Phoenix Sky Harbor International in Arizona
- San Diego International in California
- Louisville International in Kentucky
- Seattle/Tacoma International in Washington
- San Francisco International in California
- Salt Lake City International in Utah
- Teterboro in New Jersey
- Tampa International in Florida
Denver was the third busiest airport last year with more than 82.4 million passengers traveling through it, according to the Airports Council International. The airport is a revenue generator for the state and collects money from car rentals, hotels, restaurants and other non-airline revenue. The airport’s economic impact is estimated at $47.2 billion a year for the state.
DIA has 1,800 federal workers and asked the FAA on Wednesday if it can use airport revenues to support the controllers.
So far, no other airports in Colorado are on the FAA top 40 list. But that doesn’t mean there will be no impacts. Officials from Colorado Springs Airport said they are also trying to understand the local impact for travelers.
“We are actively monitoring the situation for changes within the national airport system,” said an airport spokesperson in an email. “We advise that travelers should check directly with their airline for the most up-to-date information. Additionally, we recommend allowing extra time at the airport ahead of any scheduled flights.”
In a memo United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby shared with employees on Wednesday, he noted that early November is typically a less busy travel season so “our flights have more seats available than before the summer, meaning we should be able to find seats for many customers even if their flight is canceled.”
Updates from the airlines
Many international airlines are not impacted by the FAA’s order. But several domestic airlines that operate in Denver have shared notices about how they’re handling the shutdown. Here are the airlines that addressed the potential disruption for passengers:
- Alaska Airlines: Waivers available for flights scheduled between Nov. 7 to 10. >> See policy
- American Airlines: Waivers available for flights through Nov. 14. >> See travel alerts
- Breeze Airways: Expecting “minimal impact” but advise checking flight status ahead of time. >> See advisory
- Delta Airlines: Assured customers that it “expects to operate the vast majority of our flights as scheduled, including all long-haul international service,” the company said. Those on affected flights or traveling in the impacted markets can cancel or get a refund without penalty. >> Updates
- Frontier Airlines: Passengers whose flights are canceled or delayed for more than three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights are allowed to rebook or request a refund. >> Updates
- JetBlue: Waiving fees to change flights through Nov. 10. >> Travel alerts
- Southwest Airlines: Customers with travel booked through Nov. 12 can adjust travel plans at no additional cost or get a refund. >> Help center
- Sun Country Airlines: Encourages customers to check their flight status, but there’s no offer to waive fees or provide refunds. >> Advisory
- United Airlines: Offering refunds for travelers who want to cancel their flight. Rolling updates will be provided on flight schedules. >> Updates
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.