they are aware of the possibility.
“Ontario International Airport is aware of the comments made on Wednesday by the U.S. Transportation Secretary and the list of impacted airports that’s now being circulated by media outlets,” the post reads. “We’re closely monitoring the situation, and we stand ready to support our airline and federal partners.”
FlightAware, a flight tracking platform, reported midday Thursday that six flights today had been canceled at ONT — four on Southwest Airlines and two on United Airlines.
As a trickle of travelers descended the stairs at Terminal 2 Thursday morning, the board displaying arrivals and departures showed that the majority of flights were either on time or even slightly ahead of schedule.
The second-floor security line moved quickly, passengers zipping their way up the escalator.
Tre Conway, from Santa Clarita, was preparing with her daughter to leave for a weekend softball tournament in Houston. She booked the flight far from home, she said, because ONT had the most nonstop options at a decent price.
Though she has not been directly impacted by the government shutdown, Conway said she has friends who are employed by the government
“It is extremely frustrating, I don’t understand what the purpose is,” Conway said, adding that if her flight home is canceled, she would ask for a refund and probably rent a car to drive home.
Danielle DeMarco, who arrived at ONT Thursday morning from Oregon with her pug, Larry, said she travels often for work and has not yet experienced any flight issues related to the shutdown. She estimated she’s flown six times since the shutdown started and she has a flight to Florida booked next week.
“I was nervous at first,” she said, adding that though she hasn’t experienced any problems yet, trouble could “hit within the next couple of days.”
Barbara Sanchez and her husband drove in from Duarte to catch a flight to Phoenix, where they planned to attend a wedding. She wasn’t too concerned about cancellations, she said.
“Southwest is good about giving credit,” she said. “We always fly with them.”
According to FlightAware, the Ontario airport had only one canceled flight in a 24-hour period ending at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. In addition to today’s reported cancellations, FlightAware showed two Saturday cancellations apiece for Southwest and SkyWest Airlines.
Meantime, the airport encourages travelers to check their airlines’ websites and mobile apps for the latest information on flight statuses and to allow extra time for travel during the shutdown.
The complications arise as the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel season looms.
The cuts could include up to 1,800 flights per day and about 268,000 seats combined, according to The Associated Press.
“It is going to be a bumpy ride. Right now, we are in the chaos phase,” said Brett Snyder, founder of the Cranky Flyer, a Long Beach-based airline blog.
“They (airlines) still don’t have answers from the FAA,” he said. “It’s insane. This is happening on such late notice and with such a lack of clarity from the government.”
In all, five California airports — ONT, LAX, San Diego International Airport, Oakland International Airport and San Francisco International Airport — are expected to see reductions in flight capacities beginning today, according to the media reports.
Snyder said the airlines will cut regional flights, because that’s where there’s the most redundancy, often with flights every hour. For example, cancellations could come from flights from LAX to Las Vegas, Phoenix and San Francisco, he said. The airlines would get credit for reductions on both departure and arrival, because both airports are on the list for cuts.
“Airlines will focus on regional flights. Also, because there are fewer people on those flights,” Snyder said. “And international fights are excluded.”
United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said they would offer refunds to travelers who opt not to fly, even if they have tickets that aren’t normally refundable.
ONT reported it served more than 5.2 million passengers the first nine months of the year — a fraction of the 75 million served annually by LAX — but the Ontario airport is one of the busiest cargo hubs in the nation, handling about 793,000 tons of cargo in 2024. The airport ranks as the ninth- or 10th-largest cargo airport in the U.S., depending on the metrics used.
The cuts demanded by the FAA could disrupt package deliveries because other airports with major distribution centers are on the list. FedEx operates at the Memphis, Tennessee, airport and UPS in Louisville, Kentucky, where there was a deadly cargo plane crash this week.
Other Southern California airports, including John Wayne in Orange County, Long Beach and Hollywood-Burbank, did not appear on the FAA’s list. But they may be impacted as travelers facing canceled flights try to line up options.
Airlines were expected to begin notifying passengers about cancellations Thursday. Airlines said they would try to minimize the impact on customers, some of whom could see travel plans disrupted with little notice.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the reductions in capacity would be required at 40 high-volume airports. The list was scheduled to be released Thursday, but ABC News and The Associated Press obtained a copy Wednesday.
“I anticipate there will be additional disruptions,” Duffy said during a Washington, D.C., news conference Wednesday afternoon. “There will be frustration. We are working with the airlines. They’re going to work with passengers. But in the end, our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible.”
The affected airports in more than two dozen states include the busiest ones across the U.S., including Atlanta, Denver, Dallas, Orlando and Miami. In some of the biggest cities — such as New York, Houston and Chicago — multiple airports will be affected.
Scores of flights are expected to be scuttled in the days ahead, according to FAA officials.
The government shutdown began on Oct. 1. The FAA is imposing the flight reductions to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers, a move that comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on Democrats in Congress to end the shutdown.
Since the shutdown began, more than 10,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay and increasingly calling off work. Controllers already have missed one full paycheck and are scheduled to receive nothing next week as the shutdown drags on.
Most controllers work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.
That leaves little time for a side job unless controllers call in sick to the FAA.
At ONT, airport officials have been collecting nonperishable food items, household goods and pet and baby supplies for federal workers affected by the shutdown.
“These are mostly direct donations from the airport and our partners,” said Steve Lambert, an ONT spokesperson. Ontario firefighters plan to deliver items next week, he said, adding that the airport is working on securing food vouchers from some of its restaurants for the workers.
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