U.S. flight chaos could affect Canadian travellers headed to these cities

Canadians who have plans to fly down south in the coming days could be impacted by possible U.S. flight cancellations due to a government shutdown.

Starting Friday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will cut flights at 40 airports across the country if the shutdown continues.

An FAA source told CNN that "Core 30" high-traffic airports will be among those impacted. This means possible U.S. flight cancellations at New York City's three big hubs, and major airports in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

In addition, airports in Anchorage, Alaska; Indianapolis; Portland, Oregon; and Ontario, California could be affected, according to CNN.

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy told reporters that flight volumes will be reduced by 10 per cent, but did not specify whether that's 10 per cent of flights at the impacted airports, or 10 per cent of all U.S. flights.

The government shutdown has left 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers and 13,000 air traffic controllers to work without pay.

We reached out to Canada's major airlines about the possible U.S. flight cancellations.

As of Thursday, Nov. 6, WestJet, Air Transat, and Flair Airlines flights have not been impacted. All three airlines said they are monitoring the situation.

An Air Canada spokesperson told us that it is awaiting more details on the planned reductions. In the meantime, it is maintaining its normal schedule.

However, the airline is offering a goodwill policy for customers who may be connecting onto U.S. domestic flights operated by its partner, United Airlines, allowing them to change or defer their travel with no change fee.

Porter Airlines said it has felt the effects of the American government shutdown, with FAA staffing shortages causing delays in some of its markets.

"Our team is managing the disruptions, and we encourage passengers to check their flight status at www.flyporter.com before leaving for the airport," stated a Porter spokesperson.

The airline added that travellers who have flexibility could change their flight free of charge for select U.S. destinations. Passengers can visit the Manage My Booking page on the website or call the Contact Centre at 1-888-619-8622 to move their flight.

If you are impacted by U.S. flight cancellations, you can refer to this guide to air passenger rights.