Hundreds of flight cancellations spread across the U.S. on Friday as airlines began complying with the Federal Aviation Administration's unprecedented order to reduce service nationwide because of the government shutdown.
At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, security lines stretched well past the barricades in Terminal 1, with 18 cancellations and 81 delayed departures by lunchtime Friday, according to tracking website FlightAware.
It's part of the fallout from the FAA’s mandate for airlines to cut 10% of their flights at 40 of the nation's busiest airports to ease pressures on air traffic controllers affected by the ongoing government shutdown, according to the agency.
Unfortunately for South Florida, that list of airports includes both Miami and Fort Lauderdale international airports. Many of the routes slashed on Friday were shuttle flights in the Northeast and Florida, along with those between Dallas and smaller cities, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade Mayor warns of 'significant repercussions' at MIA from FAA's decisions to reduce flights
At Fort Lauderdale's airport, passengers shared looks of disbelief as Transportation Security Administration agents directed them to the back of an ever expanding line that reached nearly 50 yards beyond the barricades that normally mark the start of the security line.
“ I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ Because I thought this line was for baggage check-in. Nope, it's the back of the line. It's insane,” said Alyssa Andolina, who was headed back to Las Vegas after a work trip in South Florida.
Andolina had yet to reach the traditional entrance of the security line, and was thankful she decided to show up well before her flight’s departure.
“ I'm from Vegas, we're one of the top travel spots, and I've never seen a line this long. It's pretty crazy today,” she said.
Andolina will be flying back and forth between Las Vegas and Fort Lauderdale a number of times in the coming months, including during the busy holiday season.
“ I’m definitely gonna look at TSA PreCheck. This is not gonna work for me full time,” she said.
Compounding the issues related to the ongoing government shutdown and holiday travel is the beginning of South Florida’s cruise season.
Wesley Totten was flying back to his home in Raleigh, North Carolina after going on a Caribbean cruise. Totten is a frequent cruiser who says he flies in and out of Fort Lauderdale twice a year.
“ It [the security line] is about as far as I've ever seen it, no matter how much I've traveled,” he said.
He said that he and his wife were grateful they would not be flying over the holidays as demands on airports get worse.
“We don’t have any more flights planned, but I hate it for the rest of the people that gotta do this. It looks like it's gonna get worse,” he said.
The FAA said the reductions are starting at 4% of flights at the busiest airports and will ramp up to 10% a week from Friday. They will impact all commercial airlines. Both United and American airlines said Friday they were able to quickly rebook most affected travelers.
The biggest airlines expect there will be limited disruptions this weekend and stressed that international flights are not expected to be affected. But the upheaval will intensify in the coming days and could become chaotic if the slowdown extends into the Thanksgiving holiday, just weeks from now. Even after the slowdown ends, it will take days to return to normal.
Why is this happening?
The agency said the cuts are necessary to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who have been working without pay for more than a month. Many are pulling six-day work weeks with mandatory overtime, and increasing numbers of them have begun calling out as the financial strain and exhaustion mount.
"There could be a benefit if I can get the controllers to come back to work" Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just outside of Washington. "I don't want to see the disruption. I don't want to see the delays."
The FAA's order comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown, which this week became the longest in U.S. history.
Ending the government shutdown would ease the situation for controllers, but the FAA said the flight cuts will remain in place until their safety data improves.
What can airlines do?
Carriers are required to refund customers whose flights are canceled but not to cover costs such as food and hotels unless a delay or cancellation results from a factor within the control of the airlines, according to the Department of Transportation.
Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt warned that the reductions will "have a noticeable impact across the U.S. air transportation system."
The cuts could also slow package service as several airports on the list are major distribution centers for delivery companies, including in Louisville, Kentucky, the site of this week's deadly UPS cargo plane crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
