ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) — Travelers at Detroit Metro Airport are maintaining positive attitudes despite widespread flight cancellations and delays caused by the ongoing government shutdown affecting air traffic controllers.
Watch Tiarra's report in the video player below
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered U.S. airlines to reduce flights at 40 major airports across the country as air traffic controllers continue working without pay during the government shutdown.
Canton resident Vicky McKernan experienced firsthand the disruptions when her Thursday flight from Detroit to Philadelphia was canceled.
"Thursday night, I got an email and notification from American Airlines, saying that my flight from Detroit to Philadelphia was canceled and they would re-book me," McKernan said.
McKernan had to reschedule her Pennsylvania trip for Saturday, but remained optimistic about the experience.
"It really wasn't a big deal for me, the TSA lines were fine, no issues there," she said.
McKernan expressed surprise at the duration of the government shutdown's impact.
"I didn't expect this government shutdown to shut down that long," she said.
Detroit Lions fan Matthew Soltysiak from Traverse City faced multiple delays on his flight from Detroit Metro to Washington D.C. for Sunday's Lions versus Washington Commanders game. After several delays, he successfully switched flights and arrived in D.C. early Saturday morning.
"I spent some time at DTW kind of debating, 'Should I go to that flight, which is going to probably be very filled up, or should I stay on the flight I'm on, which is going to be much later?'" Soltysiak said.
Despite the travel challenges, Soltysiak noted the positive atmosphere among fellow Lions fans on his flight.
"I think this talks about the dedication and the excitement that there still is around this team, because, you know, there were obstacles in the journey, right? But it was like, well, we still wanna get there, we still wanna go to this game, and find any way we could make it happen," Soltysiak said.
Travelers are advised to check their flight status frequently to stay informed about potential cancellations and plan accordingly.
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