There were 96 flight delays and nine cancellations Saturday and at least 131 flight delays and 15 flight cancellations as of early Sunday evening at Southwest Florida International Airport.
The numbers come from the MiseryMap, a listing of delays and cancellations at U.S. airports by FlightAware, a flight tracking service.
The Associated Press reported Sunday that U.S. airlines canceled more than 2,100 flights Sunday mostly because of the government shutdown and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Friday order to reduce air traffic.
FlightAware's RSW numbers are low compared to other Florida airports.
Miami had 367 delays and 64 cancellations Saturday and 368 delays and 80 cancellations Sunday, Orlando had 486 delays and 73 cancellations Saturday and 584 delays and 83 cancellations Sunday, and Tampa had 160 delays and 34 cancellations Saturday and 208 delays and 49 cancellations Sunday.
RSW and the three Florida airports listed reported no delays and just one cancellation on Thursday.
The FAA last week ordered airlines to cut 10% of their flights at 40 of the busiest airports across the nation to reduce pressure on air traffic controllers during the ongoing government shutdown and ensure that flying remains safe.
Four of them are in Florida: Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
The slowdown at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports is now in its third day and beginning to cause more widespread disruptions. That includes more than 7,000 additional delays Sunday alone, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.
Earlier Sunday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that U.S. air traffic could “slow to a trickle” if the shutdown if the federal government shutdown lingers into the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
