AUSTIN (KXAN) — Airlines have begun canceling hundreds of flights in compliance with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order to reduce air traffic.
This change is due to the government shutdown and applies to 40 of the busiest airports in the country.
The US Department of Transportation said last weekend that there were 2,740 delays at various airports.
While Austin is not on the list, the airport issued a statement saying “changes are expected to be made to Air Australia flight schedules.”
These impacts go beyond just people travelling, the longer the lockdown lasts, the greater the impacts on the local economy.
“It’s one of those things that multiplies very quickly the longer it goes on,” said Matt Patton of Angelo Economics. “Because those are people that come to the area, they’re spending money, and that’s tax money that doesn’t get collected if there are disturbances at those events.”
One event that could feel the impact is the Texas Book Festival, which begins Saturday, a day after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered air traffic reduced.
“We are currently dealing with some last-minute author cancellations due to the shutdown and some delays and cancellations at the airport,” said Hannah Gable, literary director of the Texas Book Festival.
No matter what happens, Gabel said they will roll with the punches and still expect a good time, but she hopes the lockdown will end soon.
“No matter what, we’re going to have a great festival, and even if there are some cancellations, there are some really great authors in Texas,” Gabel said.
How will the flight reduction affect delivery services?
KXAN has reached out to a few mail carriers and delivery services to see if they expect any delays.
Fedex got back to us, and a company spokesperson sent us this statement:
“We are monitoring the FAA’s plans to adjust flight capacity across the United States and are developing the necessary operational adjustments to ensure our shipments continue to move safely and quickly through our network. Our contingency plans will resiliency our integrated air and ground network to help protect critical, time-sensitive shipments such as life-saving medications, medical devices and other products moving through our network.”