More than 1,200 flights cancelled, delayed at Atlanta airport due to government shutdown

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Flight cancellations and delays mounted at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Sunday as federally required cuts continued amid the government shutdown.

As of 10 p.m., FlightAware is reporting that 448 flights have been cancelled and 847 have been delayed. Below is a breakdown of cancellations by airlines:

• Delta & Delta Connection: 359
• Southwest: 5
• American & American Eagle: 5
• JetBlue: 4
• Frontier: 10
• Spirit: 5
• Air Canada: 1

Airlines are currently required to cut at least 4% of their flights. That requirement increases to 6% by Tuesday and 10% by Friday.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said cancellations could climb to as much as 20%, although no formal plans have been made.

RELATED: FAA-mandated flight reductions bring mixed bag of experiences for Atlanta travelers

Many of the cancellations in Atlanta affected regional flights, but international travelers also struggled.

The flight cuts come as holiday travel begins to increase, creating a situation with more passengers and fewer planes in the skies.

“It’s only going to get worse,” Duffy said. “I looked to the two weeks before Thanksgiving — you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle."

Travel experts are encouraging passengers to check flight coverage policies, which most airlines list at the top of their websites. They recommend either delaying flight bookings or purchasing travel insurance.

“They don’t tell us why. That’s why I’m speechless. I don’t know what to do and I can’t stay here until Monday,” said Frank Van Wyk, a visitor from South Africa. “My visa expires today and my I-94, so I have to be out of here on the next flight available otherwise I’m going to get penalized, and I can’t come back here to work again next year.”

“It just sucks because I can’t miss any other [physical therapy] appointments. I have to go back to work so it’s like messing up my schedule right now,” said Josephine Wells, who was traveling to Chicago.

For some travelers impacted by delays and cancellations, it meant spending the night here in Atlanta. That means a lot of passengers forced to spend the night here in Atlanta — more than likely in a hotel near the airport.

“We definitely have had more people coming, I think to partake in some of the libations to get the stress of their shoulder and stuff,” Katie Towne, the general manager at the Brake Pad, said.

The Brake Pad, on College Park’s Main St., has been a staple for more than two decades. Like nearby East Point and Hapeville, College Park is home to many of the hotel’s airline passengers use when they have to stay overnight.

Cynthia Franklin, whose flight home to Shreveport, LA, was cancelled on Sunday, spent the weekend with her daughter touring a handful of HBCUs in the metro.

They grabbed lunch on Main St. and have a hotel nearby before flying out early Monday morning.

“I’m just trying not to stress about it because you can’t do anything about it, right?” Franklin said. “We’re just going to take advantage of more time just being in Atlanta, but it is frustrating when you plan to be home at a certain time.”

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Car rentals on the rise in Atlanta amid flight cancellations

Dozens of flights canceled, delayed at Atlanta airport due to FAA flight reductions

US travelers scramble to adjust as airlines cut over 1,000 flights because of shutdown

What are air travelers’ rights during the government shutdown?

What to know about 10% reduction in flights at US airports caused by the government shutdown