Air Travel Delays Cause Growing Concern as Shutdown Enters Second Day

Flight disruptions remained limited on Saturday, but officials and passengers prepared for worsening conditions as the government closure dragged on.

Travelers encountered minor inconveniences at airports nationwide on the second day of flight cancellations due to the government shutdown. Officials expected air traffic problems to increase in the days and weeks ahead if the situation persists.

About 5 percent of U.S. flights got canceled on Saturday, a slight increase from the previous day. The shutdown affected smaller regional airlines the most, with some reporting cancellations of 8 or 9 percent of their scheduled flights.

Travelers felt more and more annoyed even though many said airlines did their best to handle the schedule mess-ups.

Addy Lapp killed time at a Dunkin' in the Greenville, S.C. airport because of these changes. She tried to return to San Antonio where she goes to college, since Friday. Her flight got delayed three times before the airline canceled it. She came back to the airport on Saturday. The airline booked her on a new flight, but this one had a stop in Houston.

"I couldn't go to work and had to call my boss last night," said Ms. Lapp 19, who works at a coffee shop.

The chaos at airports nationwide showed a worsening problem that would get more serious as the Federal Aviation Administration told airlines to cut more flights.

The Trump administration gave this order because of the ongoing government shutdown. Federal officials say it has put pressure on air traffic controllers who haven't been paid for over a month. Sean Duffy, the transportation secretary, said on Friday that by Thanksgiving, one in five flights might be canceled. This holiday is one of the busiest travel times in the United States.

The big three carriers - American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines - accounted for most of the flight cancellations. These airlines have a strong presence at many of the busiest airports. However, they cut back on regional flights. Smaller airlines like SkyWest Airlines and Republic Airways often run these regional routes for the major carriers. As a result, these two smaller airlines felt the biggest impact from the reductions.