U.S. Airlines Reduce Summer Service to NYC and Washington, DC

If you’re planning a trip to New York City or Washington, DC this summer, we’ve got some info need to know, especially if you plan on traveling by plane. In what is expected to be a busy summer and a staffing shortage, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will allow airlines to cut back service from New York and Washington, DC-area airports. 

In a written statement last month, the FAA said, “The FAA is taking several steps to keep air travel to and from New York City this summer safe and smooth, even as we see strong domestic demand return of pre-pandemic international traffic.” It goes on to say, “Although the FAA continues to reduce the air traffic controller training backlog at many FAA air traffic facilities, staffing levels at the New York Terminal Radar Approach Control (N90) continue to be below targets.”

Airlines have until April 30 to decide if they want to cut airport slots at John F. Kennedy International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in hopes of minimizing impacts on passengers this summer. 

Spokespeople for some U.S. airlines – including Delta, Jet Blue, and United Airlines – told Travel + Leisure that they’ve already decided to cut back flights or that they are currently reviewing their options. United added that their international flights would not be affected, and American Airlines plans to reduce selected routes from LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport this summer. 

The FAA anticipates overall delays in the New York region to increase by 45% increase in the coming months compared to the summer of 2022, when the region’s airports saw more than 40,000 flight delays, according to a press release issued last month.