WACO, Texas (KXXV) — An FAA directive reducing flights by 10% has forced American Airlines to cancel services at Waco Regional Airport, leaving passengers scrambling for alternative travel options.
- Flight Cancellations: American Airlines temporarily canceled flights at Waco Regional Airport due to an FAA directive requiring a 10% reduction in flights nationwide.
- Traveler Impact: Passengers like Denise Dolan had to find alternative transportation, paying $200 for taxi service to Dallas to catch connecting flights
- Business Boost: Ground transportation services like SkyAngel Airport Transportation are experiencing increased demand as travelers seek alternatives to reach DFW, Love Field, and Austin airports.
- Nationwide Disruption: More than 750 flights have been canceled across the country, with smaller regional airports being impacted first due to lower passenger volumes.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Travelers at Waco Regional Airport woke up Friday morning to canceled American Airlines flights, forcing many to find alternative transportation to reach their destinations.
Denise Dolan learned about her flight cancellation around 7 p.m. Thursday evening when her scheduled flight to Dallas was scrapped.
"They had no flights, so now we're driving," Dolan said.
Dolan contacted Daniel Garcia with SkyAngel Airport Trabsportation to drive her to Dallas to catch her connecting flight to Denver.
"I'm paying $200 for him, which is worth it but it's a fee I didn't expect to pay," Dolan said.
While the unexpected road trip created extra costs for Dolan, it meant additional business for Garcia and other transportation services.
"Well believe it or not, it's helped our industry pretty good because a lot of people can't get a flight out of Waco Regional Airport, so they're calling SkyAngel airport transportation to pick up the load of picking people up DFW, Dallas, Love Field or even the Austin airport," Garcia said.
According to the City of Waco, American Airlines has temporarily adjusted its schedule at Waco Regional Airport to comply with an FAA directive reducing flights by 10%. The airline is working to reevaluate next week's flight schedule.
The city's full statement can be found below,
"American Airlines has temporarily adjusted its schedule at Waco Regional Airport to comply with an FAA directive reducing flights by 10%. For today, all remaining departures are cancelled; however, the final arrival, which is scheduled to arrive overnight, remains on time. Through the weekend, the airline will operate one morning departure and one evening arrival while suspending the afternoon flight, and will reevaluate next week’s schedule over the weekend.”
Travel expert Katy Nastro with going.com explained that planes with fewer passengers will be impacted first, meaning smaller regional airports face the brunt of cancellations.
"The theme of this shutdown has always been anything can happen and as we go further into it, the higher the likelihood that you're going to be impacted in some way rises," Nastro said.
With more than 750 flights canceled across the country, travelers remain uncertain about future travel plans.
"I guess we'll just have to see. I'm really really hoping that my flight to Denver is not canceled today," Dolan said.
For travelers concerned about cancellations while booking Thanksgiving holiday flights, Nastro said no one knows how long the disruptions will last. However, some airlines are offering waivers to their passengers.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
