Richmond Airport delays grow as FAA cuts flights nationwide
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Richmond International Airport officials say they haven't been directly impacted by the FAA's planned 10% reduction in flights across major U.S. markets.
Why it matters: Ripple effects are still reaching Central Virginia travelers, and could strand Richmond's air travelers across the country.
Catch up quick: The FAA started scaling back air traffic at 40 major airports — including Dulles and Reagan National — on Friday as staffing shortages worsen and the longest-ever U.S. shutdown drags on.
- Aviation analytics firm Cirium estimates hundreds of flights could be cut daily, affecting hundreds of thousands of people.
What they're saying: RIC officials said in a statement Thursday that essential federal employees, including air traffic controllers and TSA agents, are "on duty" and making sure operations "continue safely and efficiently."
Between the lines: While Richmond isn't on the FAA's reduction list, it has daily flights to several affected airports like Chicago, Charlotte and Newark.
- Staffing issues at other airports had already begun impacting some of Richmond's flights last month.
- And on Thursday, the day before FAA's first round of reductions started, Richmond logged 60 delays and two cancellations, per FlightAware.
- It had 85 delays and 35 cancellations on Sunday.
State of play: The major airlines have generally started telling people what might happen to their flights, some about three days in advance.
- Most are offering free refunds and penalty-free rebookings, including for many basic economy and nonrefundable fares.
- All recommend travelers check the airline's website and app for updates.
Here are the airlines reportedly most affected and their plans so far.
💺 United:
- Refunds and rebooking options are available, even for unaffected flights.
- CEO Scott Kirby said schedule reductions will focus on regional and non-hub routes.
⚠️ Delta:
- Allowing penalty-free changes and refunds while maintaining most long-haul flights.
🇺🇸 American Airlines
- Waiving change fees for domestic travelers going through these airports between now and Nov. 15.
🌵 Southwest
- Automatically rebooking most travelers, and allowing people to rebook even 10 minutes before the flight departs.
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