Live updates: Delays, cancellations hit SFO, OAK after FAA's 10% flight reduction

Airlines said they will cut flights across Bay Area airports this weekend to meet Federal Aviation Administration staff shortages because of the federal government shutdown.

Southwest Airlines, the fifth-largest carrier at San Francisco International Airport by market share, said it would be cutting flights nationwide by just under 100 on Saturday and over 150 on Sunday.

Flight tracking website FlightAware said about 20 flights combined from both SFO and Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, will be canceled.

Airline officials said customers will be contacted using contact information they provided at the time of booking.

"All Southwest customers with travel booked through next Wednesday, Nov. 12, may choose to adjust their travel plans at no cost or receive a refund if they choose not to travel, regardless of whether their flight is affected. International flights will not be impacted," the airline said in a statement.

SkyWest Airlines, a regional carrier that operates flights on behalf of Alaska, American, Delta, and United airlines, canceled more than 350 flights across the country.

FlightAware said 29 SkyWest flights from SFO and OAK would be cut, with more potentially as the situation changes.

Earlier Friday, flights to SFO from within 1,000 nautical miles, which included all flights within California and as far as Colorado, were briefly suspended before resuming later in the morning with major delays. Aircraft were not allowed to depart to SFO because of a reported lack of air traffic controllers needed to safely direct them.

"We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said. "The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe."

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency would continue to reduce flights by 10 percent across 40 airports until the government shutdown ends.

SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said the delays would not affect transcontinental flights or international flights to SFO. Morning delays at the airport averaged 35 minutes. The FAA had estimated delays could average 60 minutes with up to two hours in some cases.

Travelers are advised to check with their airlines through their respective websites, phone apps, and personnel at the airport for further information.

Flight cancellations flashed across departure boards at San Francisco International Airport on Friday.

Flight cancellations flashed across departure boards at San Francisco International Airport on Friday.

As of now, the FAA is mandating all airlines cut 4% of all their flights nationwide -- a number that's set to grow to 10% by next week.

"This is sort of unprecedented across the board. Cut is pretty remarkable. I was pretty surprised by it," said travel expert Clint Henderson.

In Terminal 2, we met Jennifer Leung who was traveling with her family to Orange County. She tells us that two of her of flights were canceled, and that she rebooked the third one going to a different airport.

A seasoned traveler, among other things, Leung tells us she's packing a lot of patience.

"We have lots of snacks. We have iPads, and I think that's all you need," Leung said.

Even if they were getting out, many travelers told us they're worried about returning back home in the coming days.

Despite the frustration, people like Marla Murphy say they have sympathy for the airport staff.

"I just think about all these people who come to work without getting paid. I can't imagine going over a month without a paycheck," she said.

During a news conference Friday, SFO's main carrier, United Airlines said they're currently cutting departures to destinations with several flights a day.

They're also notifying everyone affected by text message.

"Right now, we've canceled flights for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and it's already been pushed out to the customers. So those customers already know that the flights have been canceled. As we move forward, we're going to try and cancel at least a day in advance. The target is three days in advance," said Pierre Bougeard with United Airlines.

With Thanksgiving just weeks away, many are worried about how the chaos could impact holiday travel.

But unless the government reopens, relief might not come anytime soon.

"The delays, cancellations, those extraordinary long TSA lines, it's just going to get worse. And then everyday it goes on, it's going to get worse," Henderson said.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Friday morning that short-haul flights to San Francisco International Airport would be delayed due to staffing shortages amid the federal government shutdown. The delays happened on the same day airlines began to reduce their flight schedules to meet the agency's new policy.

Flights to SFO within 1,000 nautical miles, which included all flights within California and as far as Colorado, were briefly suspended before resuming later in the morning with major delays. Aircraft were not allowed to depart to SFO because of a reported lack of air traffic controllers needed to safely direct them.

Airport spokesperson Doug Yakel said the delays would not affect transcontinental flights or international flights to SFO. Morning delays at the airport were averaging 35 minutes.

In the FAA's announcement of the temporary suspension of flights, it estimated delays could average 60 minutes with up to two hours in some cases.

The ground stop occurred on the same day major airports, like SFO, were expected to see a reduction in flights after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, announced earlier this week that he would be directing airlines to cancel up to 10 percent of flights across 40 airports due to staffing issues during the ongoing government shutdown.

Information, courtesy of flight records website FlightAware (flightaware.com), showed 45 flights were canceled at SFO as of Friday morning. The majority of flights were associated with commuter airline SkyWest, which operates regional flights on behalf of several different airlines, and then followed by United Airlines. and then followed by United Airlines.

Travelers are suggested to check with their airlines through their respective websites, phone apps, and personnel at the airport for further information.

Anxious travelers across the U.S. felt a bit of relief as airlines mostly stayed on schedule while gradually cutting flights because of the government shutdown.

At least 1,000 flights were called off on Friday to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration's order to reduce service. Some passengers were forced make last-minute changes and rebook on different flights.

Plenty of nervousness remained, as more canceled flights are expected in the coming days. Airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Denver and Dallas led the way with the most disruptions, and long security lines added to travelers' woes.

The upheaval will intensify the longer the shutdown lasts and could become chaotic if it extends into the Thanksgiving holiday, just weeks from now.