Those flying out of John Glenn Columbus International Airport this weekend need to reach out to their airlines to check the status of their flights sooner rather than later.
That's the advice of Jeannie Gualtieri, owner of Active Travel in Hilliard, with the Federal Aviation Administration's order to reduce air traffic nationwide because of the government shutdown.
"Be proactive, don't wait 'til the last minute. You know you've got to, if your flight, you know, if you've got a tight connection, I can tell you right now you probably won't make it," Gualtieri said.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled and thousands delayed across the country today with the FAA's order to reduce service nationwide because of the government shutdown.
Gualtieri said travelers need to check with their airlines through the weekend to see if their flights are affected.
"The cities that may be affected a little more than some others they said, New York City, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, L.A., and Dallas, are the ones that's gonna have the major cuts," she said.
The FAA selected 40 airports for the slowdown, all among the nation's busiest, for the 10% reduction. John Glenn airport is not among those, but flights to and from Columbus could be affected by the slowdown at other airports.
"The biggest piece of advice is to stay in touch with your airline. Download the app, turn on the alert, check your email. They are going to have the most up-to-date information on your flight status," Columbus Regional Airport Authority spokeswoman Breann Gonzalez Almos said.
As of early Friday afternoon, one United Airlines flight to Houston had been cancelled.
FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions, said airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Dallas and Phoenix led the way with the most disruptions.
Gualtieri said travelers need to stay alert.
"I always tell my clients, you know, your flight's delayed 15 minutes and they come back on and say it's going to be another 15 minutes, you need to be on the phone with me so I can get you (rebooked) on a different flight," she said.
