Local aviation experts stress safety as FAA reduces flights due to shutdown
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Friday is the first day air travelers are seeing flight cuts after the FAA announced a decrease to alleviate pressure from the government shutdown.
Local aviation experts say that, although this is inconvenient, it's a decision to ensure the airspace stays safe.
Travelers we spoke with on Friday at John Glenn International Airport say they had a pretty smooth day compared to the turbulence they were expecting.
Jeff Ruby and Sarah Abella say they arrived Friday morning at Chicago Midway Airport expecting a lot of issues.
“Southwest had texted like every couple of hours yesterday to say if anything's changing, we'll let you know,” Abella said.
They said their flight to Columbus was smooth as can be. However, they say they have more travel plans coming up.
“We're going to California for Thanksgiving. We're going on a bunch of other trips in the next couple of weeks. So my thought was, I'd like them to get their act together before Thanksgiving starts,” Abella said.
Friday, there was one canceled arriving flight and one canceled departure, both to and from Houston. There were long lines at TSA in the morning, but otherwise, passengers we spoke with say it's been pretty much business as usual.
Dr. Blake Stringer, the director of Ohio State’s Center for Aviation Studies, said this is unprecedented and coming at a time when the aviation industry is facing several stressors.
“There's an anxiety that comes up in the public when we start talking about aviation cuts, especially in a year that has seen a lot of aviation incidents already, especially just, you know, earlier this week,” Stringer said.
He said another stressor is the air traffic controller shortage. He said, though this is creating an inconvenience for many, it's a choice to keep the mess on the ground instead of the skies.
“So when you begin to have shortages of personnel, but then you also have the added anxiety of not getting a paycheck, so how am I going to cover my bills and feed my family? That becomes a very problematic thing to deal with, and not only the stress of every day making split-second decisions to keep thousands of passengers safe in the air,” Stringer said.
No one has the crystal ball to tell us how long these impacts will last, but people we spoke with hope the upcoming holidays will be an incentive to get back to normal.
“A government shutdown feels kind of like, okay, that's just some distant abstract thing. But then, when it infringes on your own personal plans, then it feels slightly different,” Ruby said.
Columbus airport representatives have not been able to tell us what air traffic controller staffing levels have been like here, but have told us they have been running operations like normal.
Airport officials say the best thing for flyers to do to keep up with potential impacts is to download their airline's app for updates.