US flight cancellations surge as airlines comply with government shutdown order

Kelly Matthews, who lives in Flat Rock, Michigan and frequently flies for work, said she has cancelled most of her upcoming trips and understands why federal airport employees have stopped showing up

US airlines began cancelling hundreds of flights on Thursday due to the Federal Aviation Administration's order to reduce traffic at the country's busiest airports starting Friday because of the ongoing government shutdown. Close to 500 flights scheduled for Friday were already cut nationwide, and the number of cancellations climbed steadily throughout Thursday afternoon, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flight disruptions.

The FAA order to cut flights at 40 of the busiest airports across the US includes New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, but the impact will disrupt travel a