DTW Flight Reduction: Stressed and confused travelers try to leave town before chaos hits

DTW travelers react to tomorrow's 10% flight cut

From packing extra clothes to monitoring every update on flight status changes, there’s more stress than usual for those in Detroit Metro on Thursday.

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.

Local perspective:

Meanwhile, FOX 2 spent Thursday night at DTW, talking with stressed and confused travelers trying to get out of town before any chaos ensues. From packing extra clothes to monitoring every update on flight status changes, there’s more stress than usual for those we talked with.

FOX 2 had crews here at Detroit Metro all of Thursday, and the vibe has been pretty much the same: try to get out of town or into town ahead of major airlines canceling tons of flights due to the federal government’s order to reduce traffic at the nation’s busiest airports, beginning Friday, all because of the ongoing government shutdown.

Big picture view:

The shutdown is creating a significant shortage of air traffic control and TSA staffers nationwide.

On Friday, about 500 flights were scrapped across the country as ground stops pile up in NYC and Dallas. Here’s how travelers are dealing with it all, including this group heading to New York for a girls' weekend.

Meanwhile, Detroit Metro released a statement on all of this. It says in part:

"The Wayne County Airport Authority is aware of unconfirmed reports that Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) is on the FAA’s flight reduction list. Currently, we have not received official confirmation from the FAA. We will continue to monitor the situation closely."

They say there are no significant disruptions to airport operations right now and encourage travelers to check with their airline for updated flight information before heading to DTW.

Featured