Flight restrictions at major airports could impact Richmond International Airport travelers
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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it will begin limiting flights at 40 major airports nationwide starting Friday due to air traffic controller shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown.
The restrictions, which could affect up to 10% of flights at the nation's busiest airports, are being implemented as a safety measure while controllers continue working without pay during the shutdown.
"We're not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself, when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent, you know, things from deteriorating," said Bryan Bedford, administrator of the FAA.
The change is expected to impact thousands of flights daily across the country. While the FAA has not yet released the official list of affected airports, industry experts warn the restrictions could disrupt hundreds to thousands of daily flights.
Richmond International Airport officials said flights from Richmond will likely be connected to affected markets, though they are still waiting for specific data. A spokesperson noted that RIC has not seen significant disruptions to flight operations or passenger screening during the shutdown so far.
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