Could Rochester’s Airport Get Impacted By The FAA Reducing Flights?

The government shutdown is now causing significant disruptions to air travel. The FAA says it will cut flights at some airports starting Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says this is about seeing where delays are and working to relieve that pressure. Flight data shows there were nearly 4,000 domestic and international delays yesterday along with 170 cancellations. NBC reports flight cuts will start at 4% Friday and slowly get to 10% by next week. The list of airports being impacted is expected to be released on Thursday. On your rights when you fly, according to the Department of Transportation, you’re entitled to a refund if your airline significantly delays or cancels your flight. It has to be a 3-hour delay for domestic and 6 hours for international flights. The airline is also required to give you a refund if you have to depart from or arrive to a different airport. These cuts come as Rochester’s airport has seen more traffic recently. The airport announced this summer had the highest number of travelers in over 15 years. Nearly 400,000 people traveled from ROC city in June, July, and August.

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While the airport is seeing busy numbers for a mid-sized regional airport, it’s not one of the busiest airports in the country. That’s where we could see the biggest impacts. The goal of this airspace shutdown is to keep pilots and travelers safe as airspace controllers face fatigue. American Airlines posted a statement online saying many of their customers will not be impacted but if they are, they’ll receive automatic rebooking options instead of figuring out on their own. The airline is trying to get ahead of this as we move into the holiday season, where travel naturally spikes.

Source: WHEC-TV