Will federally mandated cuts to flights affect Boise Airport? Here’s the latest
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Boise Airport avoided inclusion among 40 U.S. airports slated for required flight cuts.
- FAA mandated a 10% traffic reduction at 17 Boise-linked destinations during shutdown.
- Commercial airlines adjust schedules and offer refunds as uncertainty persists.
The Boise Airport dodged inclusion among the 40 U.S. airports expected to see cuts to flights after federal officials ordered that commercial airlines reduce service during the ongoing federal government shutdown, but local impacts still may be felt.
The regional air hub offers nonstop flights to 26 airports from its eight air carriers. Of those, 17 destinations to and from Boise are on the list of airports that the Federal Aviation Administration is requiring drop air traffic by 10% by Friday.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered the reductions on account of limitations in air traffic control towers across the country. Air traffic controllers are essential federal workers who remain required to show up for the job, but they go unpaid, Reuters reported.
The government shutdown, triggered over disagreements in Congress over federal spending, has hit a new record and stands as of Thursday at 37 days and counting.
At least for now, the Boise Airport continues to operate “under normal conditions,” airport spokesperson Jennifer Kronberg said in an email. Passengers should continue to check with their airlines about possible delays and cancellations, she said.
“Our team continues to monitor the situation closely and remains in regular contact with our airline and federal partners,” Kronberg said.
Meanwhile, airlines are faced with making nearly on-the-fly cutbacks just weeks before the start of the busy holiday travel season.
Southwest Airlines, which offers nonstop flights between Boise and seven of the affected airports — including Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver — was still determining “scheduling adjustments” on Thursday, according to Ashley Persons, an airline spokesperson. Southwest does not expect the majority of its customers to be affected to meet the FAA’s flight reductions, she said.
But the airline was allowing its passengers with flights booked over the next week, through Nov. 12, to adjust their travel plans at no cost or obtain a refund if they don’t want to risk possible disruptions.
“Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees,” Persons said. “We continue to urge Congress to immediately resolve its impasse and restore the National Airspace System to its full capacity.”
Alaska Airlines is the dominant air carrier in Boise, flying nonstop to 16 different cities. Half of those routes are to and from airports on the FAA’s list, including Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles.
Because of how dynamic the situation is, Alaska did not plan to provide details about individual impacts for each of the airports it serves, a spokesperson told the Statesman. But the airline already started canceling a “limited number of flights” on Friday, Alaska said in a statement.
“We are sorry for this unexpected disruption,” the airline said. “Most of our cancellations are on routes with a higher frequency of flights, allowing most guests to be re-accommodated with as little disruption as possible.”
Alaska will rebook or refund all of its passengers whose flights are canceled, the statement said.
Similarly, American Airlines, which flies between Boise and listed airports Chicago-O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix, said it issued a travel waiver for passengers to change or cancel their flights booked through Nov. 14 without a fee.
Frontier Airlines, the latest commercial air carrier to offer service in Boise after it returned to the market in May after a four-year hiatus, offers nonstop service to and from Denver. A spokesperson said the low-cost carrier expected limited impacts to its flights, and said Frontier would communicate directly with affected passengers.
“We extend our appreciation to all of the federal employees, including air traffic controllers, TSA officers and others who are working without pay while continuing to get airline passengers safely to their destinations,” Frontier’s statement read.
Through September, the Boise Airport has served nearly 3.9 million passengers, according to the latest airport data. That total tracks about 6% ahead of 2024, when the airport set a new all-time high for annual passengers, at just short of 5 million.
Those numbers rank the Treasure Valley air hub in the top 10 fastest-growing airports in the U.S., according to an analysis by travel website Locals Insider. If current passenger trends hold and go largely unaffected by reduced flights at other airports, the Boise Airport will best its record by an additional 300,000 passengers in 2025.
