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

Flight delays and cancellations continued at Bay Area Airports on Saturday. More than 900 flights have been canceled nationwide this weekend, as the FAA limits flight capacity at 40 major airports during the government shutdown.

Flight delays and cancellations continued at Bay Area Airports on Saturday. More than 900 flights have been canceled nationwide this weekend, as the FAA limits flight capacity at 40 major airports during the government shutdown.

Many travelers are feeling frustrated.

"We've been here six weeks, New Orleans, Route 66 for 26 days," said Annette Mitchell.

Annette and Glenn Mitchell from Australia are wrapping up a vacation of a lifetime, too bad it's not ending the way they'd hoped due to the U.S. government shutdown.

"It's a sickness in the stomach wondering if we're going to get a flight or not," said Annette Mitchell.

The Mitchell's flight to LAX is one of about 35 flights cancelled Saturday, according to the SFO's duty manager, to help ease pressure on the embattled U.S. air traffic control system. The Mitchell's are checking the boards for a backup plan. They need to make their connecting flight back to Australia on Saturday night.

"Our fourth option is to grab a rent-a-car and shoot back down to LA, but that went out the window when we came here and waited for the good news," said Glenn Mitchell.

Ray Vidrio is heading to JFK, but flight delays are only compounding the situation.

"I feel bad too. I've been patient with everyone. A lot of flights have been canceled, rerouted, and delayed. It's tough to travel right now," said Vidrio.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy insists the drastic cuts are to relieve pressure, as air traffic controllers work without pay and more call out sick.

"Some people have second-guessed what we've done; we have not politicized the airplace, we've been working hard to make sure that there's minimal disruption to the best of our ability and still keep it safe," said Duffy.

Flight cancellations mean a four percent reduction this weekend, but Duffy says the FAA will continue to reduce flights by ten percent across 40 airports until the government shutdown ends.

"Frustrating and inconvenient for passengers," said traveler Rhoda Mondes.

This week, most airlines are trying to accommodate passenger travel plans without change fees.

Best advice, if you're traveling, check with your carrier for the latest information before heading to the airport.

More than 1,000 flights have been canceled nationwide on Saturday as the Federal Aviation Administration continues limiting flight capacity at 40 major U.S. airports amid the government shutdown.

As of 12:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, 1,048 flights have already been canceled nationwide and over 4,000 flight delays. This eclipses Friday's toll of 1,024 cancelations.

Major delays at airports across the country continue to persist due to staffing issues in air traffic controller towers and centers.

There are 25 air traffic control staffing triggers Saturday afternoon, a ground stop in Nashville and multiple ground delays due to staffing at airports across the country.

SFO reported just before 8 a.m., "Departures to San Francisco International are delayed avg. 114 mins. due to other. Delay assigned to departures within 1950 nautical miles." But it's unclear if it's related the FAA flight reductions or the fog.

Check-in with your carrier for the latest info.

Story here.

ABC7 News contributed to this report.

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.