You may find it tough to fly out of Green Bay in the near future if the government shutdown is not resolved. The Federal Aviation Administration announced on Thursday 40 “high-volume markets” where it is reducing flights by 10 percent beginning Friday.
The cutbacks are tied to the shutdown, which has left air traffic controllers without pay since October 1. According to Atlanta News First and Gray News, thousands of flights will likely be canceled or delayed as a result of the reductions, and the impact on the FAA could last for days or even weeks after the government shutdown is lifted.
Among the airports on the list are Chicago O’Hare Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport—major connection points that Green Bay’s Austin Straubel Airport relies on to get local passengers to their destinations. Airport Director Marty Piette says the direct impact on their operations is still unknown, but he expects some travel plans may have to change.
International travel could also take a hit, as four of the world’s ten busiest airports are in the United States and all are affected by the FAA’s airspace reductions.
