(The Center Square) – A look at arrivals and departures from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday afternoon showed several delays and a few cancellations as a mandated reduction in flights began its first day.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered a 10% decrease in flights from 30 of the country’s largest airports and 10 mid-sized hubs as the government shutdown continued. Air traffic controllers and security screeners are required to work but are not getting paid.
The Atlanta airport, reportedly the busiest in the world, experienced some arrival delays of up to two hours on certain flights on its online flight tracker on Friday afternoon. A few departures were delayed by up to two hours, but most experienced shorter delays.
Waits at security checkpoints ranged from 11 to 21 minutes, according to the website.
The Center Square was unsuccessful getting comment prior to publication from the Atlanta airport.
Atlanta-based Delta Airlines is offering passengers flexibility as it complies with the reduction, the company said on its website.
Delta completed all of its flight cancellations through Nov. 9, the company said. Customers were offered flexibility if they decided not to travel.
Southwest Airlines cancelled 4% of its flights on Friday, which the company called a “small portion” of its daily schedule. It was still working on Saturday cancellations, according to its website.
The vast majority of its flights would not be cancelled, Southwest officials said. Customers with travel plans through Nov. 12 could adjust their flights at no cost or receive a refund even if their flight is not affected, the company said.
Other airlines were also offering fee waivers for flight changes and flexible policies for flights into the affected airports.
By noon Friday, airlines had cut 850 flights within, into, or out of the United States, four times the number of cancellations on Thursday.
The shutdown is now in its 38th day.
