Flights canceled nationwide. How are Kansas City travelers affected at MCI?
More than 1,400 flights were canceled by Friday afternoon, according to the flight-tracking website FlightAware, as airlines responded to new reductions in flight operations ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports.
The impact of the flight reductions were barely felt in Kansas City. At Kansas City International Airport, which is known by its airport code MCI, two departing flights were canceled Friday.
The first was Delta Flight 5027, operated by Delta’s regional subsidiary Endeavor Air under the Delta Connection brand, which was scheduled to depart for Minneapolis/St. Paul at 10:48 a.m., Jackson Overstreet, a spokesman for the Kansas City Aviation Department, said.
But shortly after responding to questions from The Star, American Airlines Flight 5333, operated by American’s regional subsidiary PSA Airlines under the American Eagle brand, canceled a 5:55 p.m. flight to Washington, D.C.
There were also two flights destined for MCI that were canceled on Friday, including Delta Flight 5027, also operated by Endeavor Air, which was scheduled to depart from Minneapolis/St. Paul at 8:33 a.m.
The other was American Airlines 4068, operated by American’s regional subsidiary Envoy Air under the American Eagle brand, scheduled to depart from Washington, D.C., at 9:10 p.m.
KCI is not on the list of the 40 airports that are subject to the FAA’s reduction in air traffic, Overstreet said.
“However, local travelers will most likely still see impacts at MCI as 32 of the 40 airports on the list are served nonstop from MCI by passenger airlines,” Overstreet said.
As of 4 p.m. Friday, there were 10 canceled flights to and from MCI on Saturday, including four at United Airlines, two each at Southwest Airlines and Republic Airways, and one each at Envoy Air and PSA Airlines, according to FlightAware.
There were also two United Airlines flights canceled for Sunday, according to the website.
The city’s aviation department staff are monitoring the situation, but encourage all travelers to check with their airlines for delays and cancellations. The airlines will be the first source of that information, Overstreet said.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced the emergency order on Thursday saying that the FAA would limit air traffic as the shutdown leaves air traffic controllers without pay.
“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” Bedford said in a news release. “The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”
The cuts began Friday, with a 4% reduction in operations. The reductions will ramp up to 6% by Tuesday, 8% by Thursday and 10% by Nov. 14.
Duffy told Fox News on Friday the reductions could be as high as 20% in the coming weeks if the shutdown continues.
In related news, MCI’s security is contracted and not handled through the Transportation Security Administration, so staff have continued to be paid and operations have remained normal, Overstreet said.
