Although there have been a handful of local flight cancellations, the burgeoning wave that has hit major hubs across the United States has not trickled down to the Chattanooga Airport.
However, one industry analyst said air travelers should remain vigilant about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
“I would say there’s a big ‘It depends’ headline here,” Ryan Ewing, the founder of AirlineGeeks.com, said in a phone call.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it would reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 high-volume markets. The federal government implemented a 4% reduction on Nov. 7, which will gradually ramp up to 10% by Friday.
Federal officials said the move would ease strain on air traffic controllers, who have been working unpaid since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, according to The Associated Press. Most have been on duty six days a week while putting in mandatory overtime.
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However, with the endorsement of a small group of Democratic lawmakers, the U.S. Senate passed legislation Monday to reopen the government. The bill now goes to the U.S. House of Representatives. Even if the shutdown ends soon, Ewing said, there will still be lingering impacts.
“The whole national airspace system isn’t something you can turn off and turn back on again,” Ewing said. “It’s going to take some time. I’ve gotten the question today, ‘Is that going to continue on Thanksgiving?’ I don’t know. I don’t think really anybody quite frankly knows yet.”
Many of Chattanooga’s direct flights go to high volume markets, including Chicago, Atlanta, Charlotte and New York City.
Airport CEO April Cameron said cancellations at bigger hubs can have a cascading effect on smaller ones like Chattanooga, noting someone traveling to Atlanta, for example, could have their subsequent connection canceled.
Cameron said Lovell Field saw one cancellation Friday and one on Saturday. As of Tuesday afternoon, there were three cancellations. Although it fluctuates, the airport typically runs between 28 and 34 flights on a daily basis, she said.
“It’s not significantly impacted our operations,” Cameron said in a phone call. “I know lots of larger airports are seeing more cancellations, but the percentage is kind of set across the board. When you have less flights, you’ll have less cancellations.”
The online tracker Flight Aware reported more than 1,200 cancellations within, into or out of the United States as of Tuesday afternoon and nearly 2,800 delays.
“Watch your flight closely,” Ewing said. “I know it’s kind of cliché, but know what your options are. Have a backup plan in place, especially if you’re traveling around Thanksgiving.”
Airlines for America, a trade association for leading U.S. airlines, urged lawmakers on Monday to approve a bipartisan deal to reopen the government.
Flight schedules can’t immediately bounce back to full capacity once the shutdown ends, the organization said in a statement. It will take time, and there will be residual effects for days.
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“With the Thanksgiving travel period beginning next week and the busy shipping season around the corner, the time to act is now to help mitigate any further impacts to Americans,” the association said.
AAA puts out estimates every year for the number of Tennesseans it expects to travel for Thanksgiving.
The organization has not yet released the numbers for 2025, but last year, an estimated 1.9 million Tennesseans traveled for the November holidays, including more than 1.8 million motorists. About 51,000 Tennesseans traveled by air.
Nationwide, 71.7 million U.S. travelers opted to go by car during Thanksgiving in 2024. Another 5.8 million people flew.
Contact business reporter David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.
