Flight disruptions ramp up as federal reductions continue
TOP OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS ON
WRAL AND WRAL COM. THIS MEANS
THE MAJOR DISRUPTION TO FLIGHTS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS LIKELY TO
CONTINUE AT LEAST FOR A FEW
MORE DAYS. MORE THAN 2000
FLIGHTS WERE CANCELED IN THE
U.S. TODAY. THE MOST SINCE THE
FAA ORDERED FLIGHT CUTS AT 40
OF THE NATION'S BUSIEST
AIRPORTS. THE BUREAU'S KIRSTEN
CLARK IS LIVE AT RDU TONIGHT.
KIRSTEN, THERE WERE DOZENS OF
CANCELLATIONS AND DELAYS THERE
TODAY.
>> ERIC, I WANT YOU TO TAKE
A LOOK HERE. THESE BOARDS
REALLY PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT
FLYERS EXPERIENCE TODAY.
WE'RE TALKING NEARLY 30
CANCELLATIONS AND MORE THAN
70 DELAYS. THAT'S ACCORDING
TO FLIGHTAWARE. AND IT WAS OVER
FLECKED ID IN SOME PRETTY
FRUSTRATED AND IN SOME CASES
ANGRY PEOPLE THAT I SPOKE WITH.
>> THIS IS HOW WE MET. JOINING
TOURIST EYES GLUED TO ALREADY
USE LIST OF ARRIVALS AND
DEPARTURES. SO I LIVE IN APEX
AND TRYING TO GET TO NASHVILLE.
>> AND SO WHAT'S GOING ON TO
PLAY?
>> SO FAR, 27 MINUTES DELAYED.
BUT I KEEP WATCHING. IT KEEPS
CHANGING. SO WE'LL WE'LL SAY.
>> 2 HOURS LATER WE RAN INTO
HER AGAIN.
>> I'VE HAD 3 ADDITIONAL
DELAYS. AND AND I JUST KEEP
WATCHING FLIGHTS GET CANCELED.
THE DELAYS WERE LIKELY DUE TO
AN FAA ISSUED A GROUND DELAY
FOR INCOMING FLIGHTS TO
NASHVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. ALL THANKS
TO ONE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL
SHORTAGE AMID THE GOVERNMENT
SHUTDOWN. HOPEFULLY I'LL GET
OUT TONIGHT IF NOT AGO, 10
MINUTES HOME. COME BACK AGAIN
AND MORNING. MEANWHILE, CRAIG
CUMMINGS TOLD US HE DECIDED TO
MAKE A NEARLY 17 HOUR DRIVE
BACK TO HOUSTON. HIS FRONTIER
FLIGHT WAS CANCELED JUST
MINUTES AFTER HE ARRIVED TO
RDU. WE'RE HOPING THAT WE'RE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET HOME
TONIGHT AND THAT IS NOT GOING
TO BE THE CASE. THE FAA
MANDATED FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS
ARE EXPECTED TO RAMP UP TO 6%
BY TUESDAY. HOWEVER, TONIGHT'S
TENTATIVE SENATE AGREEMENT TO
END THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
MAY OFFER FRUSTRATED TRAVELERS,
SOME ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE WORD
OF WARNING TO EVERYBODY ELSE.
>> BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.
KEEP CHECKING YOUR FLIGHT AND
HAVE A BACKUP PLAN. JUST HOPE
THAT THIS END SOON BECAUSE THIS
IS GETTING CRAZY AND IT'S
AFFECTING A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO, YOU KNOW,
GET TO WORK AND GET PAID.
AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, I JUST HOPE
IT ENDS.
>> TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY
SEAN DUFFY HAS SAID THAT EVEN
IF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN
SOON, FLYERS COULD STILL SEE
SOME DISRUPTIONS, ESPECIALLY AS
WE HEAD INTO THE BUSY
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY SEASON
LIVE AT RDU THURSTON CLARKE,
WRAL NEWS.
>> KIRSTEN, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH. AND CHECKING IN ON THE
STATUS OF FLIGHTS TODAY, FLIGHT
AWARE SAYS RDU HAS HAD MORE
THAN 160 DELAYS. AND 55
CANCELLATIONS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY. THE NUMBER OF DELAYS
IS OVER 10,000 AND THERE HAVE