Dozens of flights were cancelled at Logan International Airport on Friday morning, leading to long lines at airline help desks as stranded passengers scrambled to figure out alternative travel plans.
It comes on the first day of the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce air traffic at major hubs across the country due to the government shutdown.
Many travelers could be seen curled up on benches outside of security checkpoints, taking naps.
Among them was Patricia Andeweg. The Newport, Rhode Island, resident was supposed to travel to Australia this week to celebrate her 90th birthday with family.
She was scheduled to fly to San Francisco early Friday morning for a connecting flight to Brisbane. But at the last minute, her flight was cancelled. After that, Andeweg told GBH News that she decided the trip was no longer worth it.
“By the time I get there, the birthday celebrations would all be over,” she said. “And how would I get back if this is going to go on?”
Despite her situation, Andeweg had a positive attitude and smiled as she described the assistance she received from airlines and airport workers who pushed her through the terminal in a wheelchair.
“I’m missing my birthday, but on the other hand, I met so many helpful people, right, left and center,” she said. “I call it my journey to nowhere.”
Other travelers were luckier than Andeweg. Hester Jean, a Boston resident headed on a short trip to Jamaica, said her flight was delayed 30 minutes Friday morning but not cancelled. Still, Jean was concerned that even if she made it to Jamaica with no trouble, the shutdown-related delays and cancellations could leave her stranded there.
“I’m wondering, am I gonna be stuck?” she said. “I need to make sure I can get on those flights and back, because I have to go to work. So I don’t want to miss my flight.”
Roger Sacilotto, who flew back to Boston from a work trip in Los Angeles Friday morning, said he had no trouble related to shutdown cancellations. But the federal flight reductions still gave him anxiety ahead of take off.
“It was pretty evident that my flight wasn’t canceled. But my biggest concern, because I was flying standby, was, is someone else’s flight going to get cancelled and bump me off?” he said. “But, fortunately, I didn’t get bumped.”
The FAA announced earlier this week that airlines would have to cut the number of flights at the nation’s 40 busiest airports, including Logan, by 10% in an effort to ease the burden on air traffic controllers — who have been working without pay since the shutdown began in September.
Airlines are phasing in the reduction gradually. According to the aviation analytics firm Cirium, just 3% of flights across the U.S. were cancelled on Friday. That figure is expected to grow in the days ahead.
Projections from Cirium show that once the full 10% reduction kicks in, thousands of passengers could be left stranded in Boston daily.
In a statement issued Thursday evening, Massport, the state agency that oversees operations at Logan, warned travelers about the cancellations and urged passengers to check with their airline before coming to the airport.
