St. Louis Lambert International Airport is not among the 40 airports nationwide where the FAA will soon reduce flight traffic by 10%. But with fewer flights heading to or from destinations including Chicago, Denver and New York, travelers starting or ending their trip in St. Louis will have fewer options.
Multiple media outlets, including the Associated Press, released a list of airports that will see reduced flight traffic beginning Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday that the FAA will reduce flight traffic at airports around the country in response to the federal government shutdown, which has put more stress on air traffic controllers and TSA agents at many locations.
Lambert officials said the airport has been relatively unaffected by the shutdown.
“We have seen some delays as a result of [other airports] having challenges, and we've seen a handful of cancellations, but that's not due to any local staffing issues,” Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said.
Yet with many popular destinations about to experience a reduction in traffic — including airports serving Chicago, Memphis, Indianapolis, Denver, New York, Houston and Los Angeles — travelers in St. Louis will see additional flight cancellations and delays.
Air traffic controllers and TSA agents are federal employees who are required to work during government shutdowns, without receiving pay. Some airports have had more unscheduled absences by those workers during shutdowns.
The ongoing shutdown is the longest in history. But staffing levels have remained steady at Lambert, Hamm-Niebruegge said.
“Obviously we have concerns. If it drags on too long, we may not be as fortunate,” she said, “but at this point, we're seeing really good staffing levels.”
