Indianapolis International Airport anticipated to be one of the 40 airports cutting back on flights

INDIANAPOLIS – Starting Friday, air traffic could be reduced across 40 major airports, including Indianapolis International Airport.

The Federal Aviation Authority is asking airlines to cut back on their flights because of the long government shutdown. IND airport officials said they are still awaiting an official order from the FAA as of Thursday afternoon.

“We always try to come back sometime around the holidays, avoiding holidays because of the craziness and the travel,” said one flyer, Garret Holst.

He said he wasn’t anticipating the uncertainty of a return flight at this time of year. Thousands of air traffic controllers have gone unpaid for over a month now due to the shutdown, many of them not reporting to work.

“Our air traffic controllers are federal employees and they rule the skies,” said another traveler Jennifer Jorstad. “If they aren’t at work, we’re not safely traveling.”

Airlines are now being asked to reduce their flight schedules by 10% at 40 “high-volume” markets beginning Friday.

Airlines such as American, Delta, United and Southwest have issued statements informing customers that many of them will not see any issues with the scheduling adjustments.

“We flew Southwest, I know that they had sent us an email saying, ‘Please don’t worry, we’re doing everything we can to make sure your flying experience is unchanged,’” said Holst.

Airlines have also stated that customers are able to get a refund if they don’t wish to fly, regardless of whether their flight is impacted.

This cutback is not expected to affect international flights; however, travelers flying domestically could have to consider another means of transportation.

“We’ve had to do that once before, so it’s like 17 hours,” said Holst when asked if renting a car was a possibility.

Airlines are set to phase in these canceled flights over the next several days.

Travelers said they hope this ripple effect in air commerce puts an end to the shutdown.

”I said a couple weeks ago, wait until this is affected because hopefully that will make a difference and the world will see, and maybe Washington will see,” said Jorstad.

Travelers are urged to periodically check their flight status and get to the airport earlier than normal, in case travel plans change.

The following statement has been provided by the Indianapolis International Airport.

Thank you for your patience as the Indianapolis Airport Authority awaits official information from the Federal Aviation Administration on its planned 10% reduction in air traffic in U.S. markets. The IAA is closely monitoring the situation, as these decisions will impact the entire aviation network. 

The FAA has not yet officially identified which airport markets specifically will be affected. IAA will evaluate any potential impact at IND once official details have been released and we are prepared to address any reduction in air traffic and its impact on passenger travel. 

At this time, the Indianapolis International Airport is under normal operations. Because airlines will be at the center of impact and because this will have effect on the nationwide aviation network, we strongly urge passengers to check with their airlines regarding flight changes, as they are the best source.