KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City travelers are bracing for potential flight delays and disruptions as the Federal Aviation Administration announced it will reduce air traffic by 10% at some major airports starting Friday.
The reason is to maintain safety during the government shutdown.
The Kansas City Aviation Department said Wednesday afternoon they had not been notified if Kansas City International Airport will be one of the airports with a reduction in air traffic.
However, travelers departing from Kansas City might still feel the impact because of delays at other airports across the country.
Jymon Wilson and his family experienced firsthand what many travelers might face. They had just landed Wednesday in Kansas City on a delayed flight from New York.
"It can be very stressful," Wilson said.
He said they were held up on the runway in New York for an extra 30 minutes because there weren't enough air traffic controllers.
"People just want to get home from trips with their kids," Wilson said.
Richard Chaskin, who was flying to Los Angeles, expressed concern about the impact on West Coast travel.
"I'm sure it's going to be an absolute horror story for anybody who has to fly in or out of there," Chaskin said.
Some frequent business travelers aren't too concerned about the reduction.
George Anderson from Kansas City said his perspective depends on the purpose of his travel.
"If I were traveling on vacation, yes, I would be. But if it's for work, it's okay. Yeah, because I still get paid," Anderson said.
Eric Meyer from Philadelphia takes a philosophical approach to travel disruptions.
"I try not to worry about the things I can't control," Meyer said. "If I'm delayed, I'm delayed. Unfortunately, delays happen when you travel every week.
Other travelers, like Kasey Hartnett and Meghan Hartnett from Kansas City, are hoping their upcoming trip to Arizona won't be affected.
"Knocking on wood and crossing our fingers that it won't affect our travel," Meghan Hartnett said.
They expressed frustration with the ongoing situation and hope for a resolution.
"It feels like it's been going on for a while," Kelsey said. "I feel like they should come up with a solution."
Anderson shared similar sentiments about the government shutdown.
"I think it's crazy that it's been this long," Anderson said.
The Kansas City Aviation Department is encouraging travelers to check with their airlines for any cancellations or delays.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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