Operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) proceeded almost normally and without incident on the first day of flight cuts ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as a result of the government shutdown at 40 major airports across the United States.

According to Flyaware, the total flight delays within, to, or from LAX On Friday, there were 168 flights delayed and 54 cancelled. At Ontario International Airport, 24 flights were delayed and eight were cancelled. In San Diego, 102 flights were canceled by noon on Friday, compared to two cancellations throughout the day on Thursday. The FAA's emergency order requiring airlines to reduce flight frequency is now in effect. It began with a 4% reduction in flights on Friday and is expected to increase to 10% by the end of next week. Some passengers arriving or departing from Los Angeles and Ontario International Airport experienced minor delays or cancellations. “I went to Boston for five days, but on Monday I was leaving at 6:00 am and was stuck until 2:00 pm,” complained Israel Manzo, plant manager at Freudenberg Medical. “I missed several meetings and didn't get there until night, which wasn't my plan.”

The airline reported that the delay was due to them not having a plane on Monday and that they would have to go to Atlanta, Georgia, to get one.

“The flight was almost empty; barely 30% full,” Israel reported. “I think people decided to cancel their Delta flight and looked for other options to get to their destination.”

Luckily, he returned to Los Angeles in time to attend his nephew's scheduled wedding.

However, he reported that several of his coworkers weren't so lucky and were stranded at Boston's Logan Airport.

Essential and without pay

Cuts in air transportation in the United States are a consequence of the federal government shutdown, which has caused staffing problems among air traffic controllers.

Since the shutdown began, Air traffic controllers—considered essential workers—have been instructed to continue working without pay, and staffing levels at air traffic control facilities across the country have been rising.This has led to an increase in reports of system overload from both pilots and air traffic controllers. Last weekend, 2,740 delays were recorded at various airports. "My department has many responsibilities, but our priority is safety. This is not a political issue; it is about evaluating the data and mitigating the risk being generated in the system while controllers continue to work without pay," stated US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “It is safe to fly today and will continue to be safe next week thanks to the preventative measures we are taking.” “We are seeing signs of strain on the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to ensure Americans continue to fly safely,” said Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford. “The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations and we will not hesitate to take additional measures to ensure the safety of air travel.”

“My mother [Manuela Batz] is already returning on an Avianca flight to Guatemala and I don't think there will be any problems with her flight,” said Pedro Canil, a mechanic from Los Angeles.

Pedro, a permanent resident of the United States, told La Opinion that the original plan a month ago was for him to go pick up his mother in Chichicastenango, Guatemala, “but with the current situation with immigration raids, I didn't want to risk them creating a problem for me at the airport.”

Cheryl Switzer, an airline ticket agent, speaking in her personal capacity, commented that she didn't see the slightest chaos at LAX.

“There's no problem at all. Operations are running smoothly, with only a few minor delays,” she said. “Customers are understanding, and there are no major concerns for travelers.”

Concern about the return flight

Before their departure for Guadalajara, Mexico, Alejandra Aguirre, her boyfriend Inocente Baena, and Jasmine Bradley were worried about their return flight in a week.

“We weren't afraid of missing the flight, but we're more afraid of the return flight,” said Jasmine Bradley. "I'm anxious because it could get complicated, and well, we have to get back to work. We have families here."

In addition to work, Jasmine was worried about returning in time to take care of her children, who are in their father's custody. Due to the partial government shutdown and the nationwide shortage of air traffic control personnel, and in accordance with FAA requirements, American Airlines confirmed that it has reduced flight schedules by 4% at 40 airport things from Friday through Monday, which equals to approximately 220 flights canceled daily. The airline said in a statement to La Opinion that, even with these cancellations, it plans to operate around 6,000 flights daily. "We remain in contact with affected customers. We encourage everyone to check their flight status on aa.com or the mobile app. The last thing we want is to disrupt our customers' plans, so we have issued a travel waiver,” the company wrote. “To provide greater flexibility during this period, customers whose flights are canceled for any reason or who decides not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund without penalty.” While thanking federal aviation workers who continue to work without pay to maintain the safety of the nation's airspace, they acknowledged that: “This is unacceptable. Once again, we urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate solution to end the partial government shutdown.” What do the airlines say? On behalf of Southwest Airlines, Ashley Persons told La Opinion that they are taking steps to make the necessary schedule adjustments “carefully,” minimizing inconvenience for their customers and complying with the FAA order. “Starting November 7, we will reduce our flights by 4% at 34 of the more than 117 airports we serve,” she said. “We proactively canceled about 120 flights, which represents a small portion of our daily schedule, and we are now processing Saturday's cancellations, which are estimated to be fewer than 100 flights.”

Persons explained that the vast majority of Southwest flights will not be affected, and the airline will contact affected customers directly as soon as possible.

In fact, he indicated that all Southwest customers with travel booked through Wednesday, November 12, can choose to modify their travel plans at no cost or receive a refund if they decide not to travel, regardless of whether their flight is affected.

“International flights will not be affected. We will continue to update our customers as the situation evolves,” he said, echoing American Airlines' position that the safety of travelers and employees is paramount.

“We urge Congress to immediately resolve the impasse and restore the National Space System to full capacity "Aerial." United Airlines posted a message on its website stating: “We are updating our schedule and will inform you if your flight is affected as soon as possible, but anyone flying between November 6 and 13 can request a refund or reschedule their flight at no cost.” Meanwhile, Ricardo Flores, a spokesperson for Volaris, reported that, “so far,” the largest airline transporting Mexicans from LAX has not received any notification of disruption to its flights to the United States as a result of the reduction in operations announced by the US government at 40 airports. “Our service continues to operate normally,” he emphasized. “Volaris reaffirms its commitment to air connectivity between Mexico and the United States, to safety, and to customer satisfaction.”

Delays and cancellations in Mexico:

Total delays on Friday: 19,315 Total delays within, to, or from the United States: 4,022 Total cancellations: 1,431 Total cancellations within,to, or from LAX: 973

At LAX:

Total delays on Friday at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 168 Total cancellations within, to, or from LAX on Friday: 54