WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. -- The Federal Aviation Administration will be cutting down air traffic in the coming days. The decision comes amidst a government shutdown that has led to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
There is now growing concern that this could impact flights in and out of the Salisbury Regional Airport.
The FAA will be reducing flights at 40 airports nationwide, including Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina, Orlando International in Florida and Philadelphia International in Pennsylvania.
"If staffing at those three outlier airports that serve Salisbury is affected, then that affects how many slots airplanes have to get into the national airspace," said Salisbury Regional Airport Deputy Director Adam Gardner. "So, yes, going to Philly, going to Charlotte, going to Orlando, our passengers could experience delays due to the air traffic control shortages."
Gardner said the delays could work both ways. Passengers attempting to fly back into Salisbury from Philadelphia, Charlotte, or Orlando may also experience delays or cancellations.
According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, the federal government will be implementing a 10% reduction in air traffic starting on Friday. The cutdowns will be phased in and are expected to ramp up by the beginning of next week.
Locally, that's concerning.
"The airport makes money from ticket sales. The airport makes money from fuel flowage, so if that simply is not happening, then that money is not coming in," said Gardner.
Outside of dollar figures, Gardner said the airport is concerned about how this will impact passengers, especially if they end up sitting in the terminal for extended periods.
"This is a very small facility. We try to make it as comfortable as possible, but sometimes what we do is not capable of making people comfortable and happy for hours on end," said Gardner.
One thing people flying out of Salisbury will likely have to their advantage is a close proximity to home. Unlike flying out of a major airport in a different city, passengers could decide to drive back home if faced with delays or cancellations.
Still, Gardner said airport staff are preparing for the worst.
"We want to make sure that the airlines stick to what they're obligated to do with regards to passengers being held on the plane," said Gardner. "If we need to speak with the airlines and ask them to kindly bring the aircraft back so people can be careful, we'll jump in when it's appropriate."
The Salisbury Airport benefits from the fact that an FAA crew doesn't man its air traffic control tower. A private company monitors the airspace, and Gardner said that could work in the airport's favor should the government shutdown continue.