Flights cut at PIT airport amid FAA slowdown
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Some airlines have begun canceling flights out of Pittsburgh International Airport due to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decision to reduce air traffic as the government shutdown drags on.
Why it matters: Though PIT isn't on the FAA list of 40 impacted airports, it has connecting flights to many of those destinations.
Driving the news: United Airlines has begun to announce cancellations across its vast network, including flights to and from Pittsburgh.
- Two Saturday midday flights from PIT to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago are listed as canceled on United's website.
- An advisory reads that those flights were cancelled "due to FAA-mandated airspace restrictions during the government shutdown."
What they're saying: PIT spokesperson Bob Kerlick said Pittsburgh serves several of the markets impacted by the FAA reductions.
- "We advise passengers to check with their airline before coming to the airport in order to closely follow their flight status," he said.
State of play: United and Delta have begun cutting flights. It's unclear if Delta has cut any flights out of Pittsburgh as of Thursday evening.
- United flies to Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., out of Pittsburgh. All these airports are on the FAA list.
- Delta flights from Pittsburgh include Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and LaGuardia and JFK in New York City, all on the FAA list.
What's next: More cuts could follow if the FAA deems it necessary to ensure safety, potentially affecting Thanksgiving travel.
- "If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we'll come back and take additional measures," FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said Wednesday.