Flight reductions to hit major US airports, will have some effect on SD airports

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Wednesday that it would cut air traffic at 40 of the country’s biggest airports. This includes airports in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Denver, which hold direct flights to Sioux Falls.

Reductions to airline travel will be day to day as the FAA is cutting flight travel by 4% starting Friday, and then it will pick up to 10% by next week.

“We haven’t had any real direct communication with the FAA. We do have people in D.C. that we can converse with and get a little more information than what is being disseminated through the news, but right now there’s not a lot,” Richard King, Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) Deputy Director, said.

The move comes as air traffic controllers have gone through the government shutdown without pay, already missing one paycheck. Airlines will determine what flights they want to cut. In the name of preserving revenue, smaller planes with shorter travel times will be the first to be affected.

“First and foremost, utilize the airline apps. Every airline that operates out of Sioux Falls has an app it can use to get the most up-to-date information. That will be faster than watching what we have even published on our website,” King said.

The FAA already faced shortages of air traffic controllers, short 3,000 back in May. One traveler said delays were already a problem for her.

“We had to change our flight going into Dallas because Dallas had so many delayed flights. So, we actually changed it and we’re doing a much longer layover just to be able to make sure we will make it home and not stay a couple extra days,” Michele Mattingly, an FSD traveler, said.

One couple on the way to Denver said they were getting wary.

“Our flight today is delayed a couple of hours, we’re thinking that’s going to be ok, but Sunday, ya, we’re concerned about Sunday’s flight and getting back home,” Cyndy Baustian, an FSD traveler, said.

The reductions will last until the shutdown is resolved. A shutdown has been going on for over five weeks.