Traverse City's Cherry Capital Airport is seeing impacts of the federal government shutdown.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a 10% reduction on domestic flights in 40 major airports across the country.
According to a recent press release, Cherry Capital isn't on that list, but is experiencing the effects of the reduction second-hand.
Kevin Klein, Cherry Capital's CEO, said the airport saw its first shutdown-induced cancellation this past weekend, and more are expected to come.
"Those airports that were targeted were Detroit Metro, which we have service from," Klein said. "Delta Airlines from Chicago O'Hare, which we have service from, American Airlines and United Airlines. Those [are] the primary airports that service us."
The airport also services flights from Denver that will potentially be impacted, Klein said, but flights inbound from Florida have yet to be effected.
Officials are encouraging travelers to be proactive about delays and cancellations.
"The airlines are letting passengers know first and foremost, before even airports know some of their scheduled delays and changes," Klein said. "And so we tell everybody to ensure you're staying up to date and in contact with your airline for the latest information."
The shutdown's effects extend beyond cancellations and delays.
According to Klein, there are about 225 federal employees at Cherry Capital. They have continued to come to work without pay.
"I'm very proud to say we've had a very low absentee rate," Klein said. "When I've talked with the air traffic control manager and the FAA tech ops and the TSA groups, they've had very few sick calls, especially compared to other large airports. The professionalism has been very outstanding by these groups that are operating and not getting paid."
The local community surrounding the airport has rallied around the unpaid federal workers.
"We're very proud of our local community," said Klein. "We've had local grocery stores and markets, like the Bayside Market, contribute and ask federal employees to come in and to be able to shop for food items. We've had local banks step up and provide some relief mechanisms for mortgages and auto loans."
Similar community support efforts have also taken place at the MBS International Airport in Freeland. The hope is, Klein said, that the impact of the shutdown remain minimal.
Klein said that the 10% reduction does not necessarily equate to a 10% loss of passengers. Rescheduled flights will help remedy the impacts of cancelled flights.
"In the short term, it'll be minimal because this time of year is the changeover between the fall colors and the holidays," Klein said. "If this goes on, if the shutdown goes on beyond the Thanksgiving holiday into the Christmas season, then we'll start seeing significant impacts for people that are coming in.
