Detroit Metro Airport flight reductions coming amid government shutdown

Detroit Metropolitan Airport expecting departure reductions Friday

DTW is one of the locations expected to cut back on air traffic due to the government shutdown.

ROMULUS, Mich. (FOX 2) - Detroit Metro Airport is one of the United States airports that will see flight reductions amid the government shutdown, according to the FAA.

The FAA announced Wednesday that it would be cutting flights by 10% in 40 "high-volume markets." On Thursday, the FAA released a list of these airports.

See the full list of impacted airports here.

This flight reduction will begin Friday, and will apply only to departing flights, at first. It is currently unknown which flights out of DTW will be part of this cut.

Come Friday morning, fewer airplanes will be flying the friendly skies. The Federal Aviation Administration says it’s all in the name of safety.

As of Thursday, it has been business at usual. Flight reductions are coming to Detroit Metro Airport beginning Friday at 4 a.m.

The FAA says DTW is one of 40 major airports to see reductions due to the ongoing government shutdown. It will be cutting departing flights first, at these airports by 10 percent.

The FAA is doing this to keep airspace safe. Travelers tell us they’re shocked - but prepared.

"Well if we get stuck in Miami, it’ll be a lot warmer than Michigan," quipped Christine Suiter, a Michigander.

"I’m hoping we get out, we were already delayed twice today," said Lindsey Hart, a Rochester resident. "So hopefully. we checked our bags. so hopefully we can get out and if we get stuck in Florida we’ll be good there."

"I appreciate the TSA workers and what they’re going through and what, you know, they’re doing for us," said Dale Suiter, a resident of Atlanta, Michigan.

"I do have TSA pre-check and clear," said Kelvin Shaw, Detroit resident. "So normally if I do kind of procrastinate, I’m safe. But a lot of people who don’t they’ll probably have to add three, four extra hours before they fly which could disrupt people’s lives, jobs schedules, taking care of children, pets, things like that.

"So it’s disheartening to hear that we’re going to run into such issues."

DTW issued a statement that said:

"The Wayne County Airport Authority is aware of unconfirmed reports that Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is on the FAA’s flight reduction list. At this time, we have not received official confirmation from the FAA about any specific airports impacted.

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation. we encourage all travelers to check with their airline for updated flight information before heading to DTW."

Detroit Metro Airport flight reductions expected

Travelers at Detroit Metro Airport can expect headaches soon amid flight reductions. According to an FAA source, the airport is one of 40 large airports cutting back flights during the government shutdown.

Dig deeper:

The FAA said the move is intended to keep airspace safe during the government shutdown.

Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. It is now the longest government shutdown in history.

The travel and aviation industry has been urging Congress to end the shutdown ahead of the busy holiday season. The U.S. Travel Association said in a letter to Congressional leaders that the economy has already lost more than $4 billion because of the shutdown, with fears it will get even worse as the holidays near.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Tuesday that there could be chaos in the skies if the shutdown drags on long enough for air traffic controllers to miss their second full paycheck next week.

By the numbers:

According to an Associated Press analysis, Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential staffing limits. This is well above the weekend average of 8.3 facilities dealing with staffing issues before the government shutdown.

The Source: Information from the FAA, previous reports, and information from the Associated Press were used in this report.