Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis and Seattle airports are common stops for Montana flights. All of them have been directed to reduce air traffic by as much as 10%, according to the Associated Press.
Missoula Airport Director Brian Ellestad says airports won’t know which flights will be impacted until customers do. But he advises passengers to be prepared for changes.
"Download the airline app. If there are any flight cancellations or reroutes, all the airlines are going to contact you through their normal channels."
Bozeman airport officials say they’re in a similar position. Neither airport expects local outgoing flights to be reduced, but say travelers’ connections or return plans could be impacted.
Both airports have staff working who haven’t been paid in over a month due to the shutdown. Bozeman Airport Director Brian Sprenger says the situation puts the industry in a difficult spot.
"The truth is that air travel is held hostage to, basically, make the federal government do their job."
Air traffic controllers for both airports are private contractors. Officials say those employees are still getting paid. Other furloughed staff receive free meal vouchers for work and are connected with local resources, according to their directors.
