Cancelled flights. Photo: Shutterstock American Airlines to cancel 220 daily flights. Due to the ongoing government shutdown and the nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, the FAA has instructed airlines to reduce their schedules to maintain safe operations.
In response, American Airlines has reduced its flight schedule by about 4% at 40 airports from Friday through Monday, which means roughly 220 flights will be canceled each day. Even with those cancellations, the company still expects to operate around 6,000 daily flights.
American has already started to reach out directly to all affected customers and encourages everyone to check their flight status on aa.com or through their mobile app.
"Disrupting customers’ plans is the last thing we want to do, and we have issued a travel waiver. To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period, customers whose flights are canceled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund without any penalty.", their announcement said.
"We’re deeply grateful to federal aviation workers who continue working without pay to keep our skies safe. This is unacceptable. We, once again, urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown."