Government shutdown: Flights canceled at Bush, Hobby airports due to FAA order

Bush Airport continues seeing impact of shutdown

Thousands of flights are being cancelled due to the government shutdown and FOX 26's Heather Sullivan is at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston with a look at how things are going for travelers.

HOUSTON - It’s day 41 of the government shutdown and 1,400 flights have been canceled across the country.

The FAA ordered airlines to cancel 10 percent of domestic flights to relieve pressure on the system as many air traffic controllers and TSA workers are off the job.

Flights canceled amid government shutdown

What we know:

The TSA security checkpoint lines at Bush and Hobby airports were considerably shorter than they have been the last few days.  

At 5 a.m. Monday morning, the Houston Airport app reported wait times to go through TSA screening at Terminal E was 8 minutes, and 25 at Terminal A. At Hobby Airport, the wait was 15 minutes.

These times were significantly shorter than the hours-long wait times travelers faced last week.

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But the shorter lines are due to an FAA order for airlines to cancel 10% of domestic flights at 40 major US airports through November 11. The move is aimed at relieving pressure as many air traffic controllers and TSA employees are off the job or going unpaid during the federal government shutdown.

On Monday, 46 flights were canceled at Bush, while 21 flights were canceled at Hobby.

United Airlines has published a list of all their FAA mandated flight cancellations through Tuesday on a special page on their website.

What they're saying:

Travelers we’ve talked to say they’re relieved that things are running smoother at the airport right now.

"I heard on the news, on FOX News, that there was a 3-hour wait. My flight is at 7:30 a.m., and I got here at 4:30 a.m., and I didn’t see a line. So I guess I’m going to have an easy trip. Haven’t had a problem," said passenger Tina Rogers, who is booked on an international flight.

"It hasn’t bothered me yet because I've been coming early. I always get an early flight. But last week was a surprise to show up on Monday. There was no TSA pre-check, so everybody had to go through regular check. I had to run to the gate to get to my flight," said traveler Shaun Stanford.

The FAA order to cancel flights will last through Tuesday, when the number of canceled flights may be even higher. Travelers are encouraged to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

Senate advances procedural vote in government shutdown

On Sunday, the Senate moved to end the government shutdown after a group of moderate Democrats agreed to move forward without a guaranteed extension of health care subsidies, sparking anger among colleagues who insist Americans want them to keep fighting.

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Government shutdown nears end after Senate advances procedural vote

The Senate took an initial step Sunday night toward ending the 40-day government shutdown, advancing a procedural vote backed by a small group of moderate Democrats who agreed to move forward.

In a test vote that is the first in a series of required procedural maneuvers, the Senate voted 60-40 to move toward passing compromise legislation to fund the government and hold a later vote on extending Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire Jan. 1. Final passage could be several days away if Democrats object and delay the process.

What they're saying:

United Airlines sent this statement following the vote:

"We thank the Senators who voted tonight to advance legislation to reopen the Federal government and provide funding for our essential air traffic controllers and TSA officers, who have worked tirelessly without pay for over a month. Our customers and employees have experienced firsthand the negative impact of the shutdown and staffing shortages causing flight delays, disruptions and cancellations. It is critical that the Senate quickly send this legislation to the House and the House pass it as soon as possible, so that government can reopen and reliable air travel can resume as we near the busy holiday travel season."