Pack your patience if you’re heading to Logan.
Flights are starting to get canceled at Boston Logan International Airport, as the FAA cuts go into effect on Friday amid the lengthy government shutdown.
If the shutdown continues to drag on, it could be “rough heading into the holidays,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Thursday.
The FAA-imposed 10% cut in air traffic comes in response to the increasing pressures on air traffic controllers, who are being forced to work without pay. Officials say the flight cancellations are necessary for the safety of the country’s airspace.
“We are starting to see cancellations for Fri, 11/7 at Boston Logan due to FAA flight reductions,” Massport said in a statement on Thursday.
“We are expecting airlines to reach out to passengers directly,” Massport added. “We urge passengers to check with their airline before coming to the airport.”
In addition to Logan flight cancellations, Massport is also expecting delays.
Other affected airports include those in Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, and San Francisco. In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected.
Experts predict hundreds if not thousands of flights could be canceled. The cuts might represent as many as 1,800 flights and upwards of 268,000 seats combined, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1. Most work mandatory overtime six days a week, leaving little time for side jobs to help cover bills and other expenses unless they call out.
Mounting staffing pressures are forcing the agency to act, FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference. “We can’t ignore it.”
“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” Bedford said. “We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”
Duffy, the federal transportation secretary, said cutting 10% of flights will reduce the pressure on controllers, while prioritizing safety and getting more flights out on time.
But there could be more significant disruptions if the shutdown continues, he warned.
“As we come into Thanksgiving, if we’re still in the shutdown posture, it’s going to be rough out there. Really rough,” Duffy said on Fox & Friends. “And we’ll mitigate the safety side. But will you fly on time? Will your flight actually go? That is yet to be seen. But there’ll be more disruption.
“Would I still book? If there’s deals out there, I’d book my flight,” he added.
Duffy in recent days predicted “mass chaos” with major delays and cancellations.
Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday said the Trump administration didn’t give a heads up about the flight cuts at Logan.
“We read about it in the paper,” Healey said during an event at the Greater Boston Food Bank. “Massport didn’t know. Massport read about it in the paper, so I checked in with Massport. They haven’t received any information about how this is going to be rolled out. Obviously, the shutdown is so bad for so many reasons.
“We’ve got 45,000 federal workers here in Massachusetts, many of whom have lost jobs, have filed for unemployment, and huge disruption in services, everything from people who send out Social Security checks, to folks at the airport, air traffic controllers and other workers at the airport who make things go,” the governor added. “So it’s a terrible situation, and it’s just all the more reason why the government needs to reopen.”
Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on travelers. United Airlines said it would focus the cuts on smaller regional routes that use smaller planes like 737s.
Travel club AAA recommended that travelers download their airline’s app and turn on notifications. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said they will offer refunds to passengers who opt not to fly — even if they purchased tickets that aren’t normally refundable.
“No flights have been cancelled yet due to potential DOT flight reductions, but the situation is developing,” JetBlue posted online, also adding, “When we cancel a flight for any reason, customers can choose to cancel their booking for a refund.”
— Reporter Grace Zokovitch and material from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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