MSP Airport is Reducing Flights Starting Friday Due to Government Shutdown

On Wednesday, November 5th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that they will be cutting thousands of flights across the country starting on Friday, November 7th. The reasoning all comes back to the government shutdown that began on October 1st.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Affected by FAA Flight Reductions

It was announced Thursday morning which airlines would be affected (prior to that, they had just said it would be 40 major airports across the US). And yes, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is one of the airports that will be impacted.

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Why the FAA is Reducing Flights

Because of the government shutdown, air traffic controllers, the people who direct the traffic of planes, haven't gotten a paycheck since October 1st.

This, of course, has caused a lot of stress for the employees (who already work a high-stress and demanding job, as it is). It has also caused many to quit, meaning there's a shortage of air traffic controllers right now.

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If you have people who are tired and overworked, plus not enough people to do the job, it makes the skies more dangerous to fly. That's why the FAA decided to make the move to reduce flights by 10% starting Friday, November 7th.

How Many Flights are Being Cut by the FAA

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a news conference on Wednesday that the decision "is proactive". The decision also means, though, that around 3,500-4,000 flights will be affected every day across the country, some of those cancellations being in Minnesota.

I really appreciate that the FAA made the tough call to do this, though. As a passenger on a plane, you want to feel safe and sure that the flight you're on will be guided correctly by someone who isn't overworked. And it seems reducing flights is the best way to do that right now.

This government shutdown, CNBC reports, is officially the longest in US history after hitting 36 full days on Wednesday.