EVERETT, NOV. 11: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last week that 40 high-traffic airports across the country will need to reduce flights by 10% by Friday, Nov. 14.
Due to the ongoing federal shutdown, federal workers at airports have been working without pay since Oct. 1. The FAA said the emergency order aims to reduce stress and strain on employees.
“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement.
A mandatory 4% reduction in operations took effect Friday, Nov. 7. The FAA order requires a full 10% reduction in flights to be achieved by Friday, Nov. 14.
Airlines are ordered to issue full refunds to all canceled flights.
While the attention focuses on major airports, regional locations have been preparing for potential impacts from flight delays and cancellations.
According to Public Information Officer Kristin Banfield, Seattle-Paine Field has received reports of minor disruptions affecting commercial service, but no current impacts to general aviation operations as of Friday, Nov. 7.
CEO Brett Smith of Propeller Airports, which operates Paine Field, confirmed that there have been minimal disruptions to flights at this time at Paine Field. However, Smith said that the whole airline industry is “in chaos” due to the FAA mandate.
Currently, two airlines provide service to Paine Field, including Alaska and Frontier Airlines. Destinations include Denver, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and San Francisco, all of which are listed among the 40 high-traffic airports required to reduce operations.
On the Alaska Airlines website, they say if your flight is departing Monday, Nov. 10, or Tuesday, Nov. 11, and you have not received communication of a cancellation, it has likely not been impacted by the FAA mandate.
“We encourage travelers to check directly with their airlines for the most up-to-date flight information,” Banfield wrote in an email.
Paine Field will continue to be in close communication with federal agencies and monitor the situation as it evolves, Banfield wrote.
The airport’s overall economic impact is estimated at over 158,000 jobs, more than 46,000 direct, and an output of almost $60 billion annually.
According to Smith, there are roughly 70 federal employees at Paine Field.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to our federal partners — especially TSA and FAA personnel — for their unwavering dedication to keeping travelers safe, even while working without pay,” Banfield wrote.
To support TSA and FAA employees, Paine Field has partnered with Food Lifeline to host a mobile food pantry, in addition to providing personal care products.
Paine Field is accepting food and personal care donations, which can be dropped off at the Ground Transportation Building, 3220 100th St SW. Donations can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
