Tucson experiencing first effects of national flight cuts

As of around 2 p.m. Friday, Tucson International Airport’s website had reported five flight delays and one  cancellation of a flight departing Tucson.

Flightaware.com, a flight tracking website, reported three flights had been cancelled and seven had been delayed leaving from Tucson International Airport. Additionally, the flight tracker reported three arrival flights had been cancelled and eight delayed to their Tucson destination.

The FAA reduced flight capacity at 40 major airports by 10%, starting Friday, Nov. 7, due to a shortage of air traffic controllers who are working without pay as long as the federal government remains closed.

Tucson International Airport (TUS) is not on the list of airports being asked to reduce their flights, but the Tucson Airport Authority acknowledged in a statement Thursday that “there may be impacts to flights” for Tucsonans.

”While TUS serves multiple cities nonstop that are listed on the planned reduction list (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland and Denver), we are confident that our airline partners serving TUS will do what they can to accommodate passengers who have disrupted flights,” the statement said.

The flights impacted at Tucson International Airport Friday were bound for San Jose Cabo (SJD), Houston (HOU), Las Vegas (LAS), Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), Salt Lake City (SLC), and Los Angeles (LAX), according to the airport’s website.

With the holiday season upon us, travelers are being told to prepare for delays and flight cancellations, and Tucson Airport Authority recommends arriving earlier than usual to the airport, as it expects an influx of customers needing additional assistance

To make traveling during this hectic time a little easier, here are some online resources you can use to help determine whether you can expect delays or cancellations to your flights:

Travelers using Tucson International Airport can check with their airlines for flight updates or go directly to Tucson International Airport’s website for flight information for the Tucson airport.

Flight Aware Misery Map tracks in real time the numbers of delays and cancellations at major hub airports so travelers can anticipate disruptions.

Flight Aware also offers statistical breakdowns of delays and cancellations by airline, origin airport, and destination airport.

National Airspace Systems Status reports large-scale “active airport events,” including closures, ground stops, ground delays, and departure delays.