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Flight chaos grips US airports as some airlines advise booking ‘backup ticket’: See the list
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Over 1,000 flights are now experiencing delays as flight cancellations grow during the government shutdown.
As of 10:45 a.m. ET on Thursday, 1,615 flights within, into or out of the U.S. had been delayed, while 49 had been canceled, according to FlightAware.com.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented a flight reduction plan limiting air travel capacity at 40 airports.
AMERICANS COULD FACE AIRPORT CHAOS IF DEMS DON’T END SHUTDOWN, TRUMP OFFICIAL WARNS
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday travelers might see additional delays.
“Now, does that mean there’s going to be no delays? No … there’s potentially still going to be delays if we have staffing triggers, and we don’t have enough controllers in an aerospace where we did cut 10%, you might see additional delays,” said Duffy.
The U.S. government shutdown has triggered 1,000-plus flight delays as the FAA cuts capacity at 40 airports. (AP Photo/Lekan Oyekanmi)
Many airlines are updating customer policies and warning travelers of potential itinerary updates.
Here are a few worth noting.
United Airlines
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby updated employees in a press release about the impact of FAA reductions.
“United’s long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted,” wrote Kirby.
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The Chicago-based airline is offering refunds to customers who do not want to fly during imposed restrictions on flights, “even if their flight isn’t impacted.”
Travelers will be notified if there are any changes to their flight through the United app, website and push notifications.
Airlines offer refunds and policy changes amid ongoing travel disruptions. (Mark Felix/AFP via Getty Images)
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is evaluating how the flight restrictions will “affect our schedule and will communicate directly with customers as soon as possible,” according to the company’s website.
The Dallas-based airline is reminding travelers they must cancel their reservations at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time in accordance with airline policy.
American Airlines
American Airlines wrote in a press release that the company “expect[s] the vast majority of [its] customers’ travel will be unaffected.”
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However, American says it will reach out to customers as schedule changes are made.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based airline is placing pressure on Congress, emphasizing the strain on the aviation industry.
“As we come into Thanksgiving, if we’re still in the shutdown posture, it’s going to be rough out there,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)
“We continue to urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown,” the release added.
Frontier Airlines
Frontier Airlines will waive change or cancellation fees for flights between Nov. 6 to Nov. 12, and travelers will be refunded through travel credits for their itinerary, the company said.
Frontier CEO Barry Biffle shared travel advice with followers on Instagram.
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“If you are flying Friday or in the next 10 days, and need to be there or don’t want to be stranded, I highly recommend booking a backup ticket on another carrier,” wrote Biffle.
Delta Air Lines
Delta said it is also expecting to “operate the vast majority” of its flights as scheduled.
The company said it is providing “additional flexibility” to customers with changes, cancellations or refund requests.
More information and insight
Duffy said Americans should still book holiday travel if they see deals they would like to grab, but also said it is “hard to predict” what may happen.
“As we come into Thanksgiving, if we’re still in the shutdown posture, it’s going to be rough out there. Really rough,” said Duffy. “And we’ll mitigate the safety side, but will you fly on time? Will your flight actually go? That is yet to be seen, but there’ll be more disruption.”
“Given the possible reduction in scheduled flights, the airlines will try to rebook canceled flights to the next available flight.”
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Thursday morning, James Squires, director of the flight Desk at Travelmation Flights, said, “Given the possible reduction in scheduled flights, the airlines will try to rebook canceled flights to the next available flight. It is best for travelers to remain calm and to check with [their] airline’s website or mobile app with their confirmation code to check on flight status.”
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He added, “If a traveler has flexibility and wants to make a voluntary change, the airline may offer them a chance to reschedule their flight to an earlier time or to reschedule their trip altogether. Some of the airlines are also offering clients the opportunity to cancel and still receive refunds on nonrefundable tickets. Travelers should confirm with the airline before canceling.”
Rachel Wolf of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
North Carolina
2 Candidates Emerge in NC State’s Coaching Search
RALEIGH — NC State replaced Kevin Keatts with Will Wade in March 2025, introducing him 368 days ago in front of the Wolfpack community at Reynolds Coliseum. A little over a year later, Wade decided to leave his new program to return to LSU, the school that fired him for cause in 2022, beginning a long journey back to Power Four basketball.
Now, athletic director Boo Corrigan and the rest of the NC State administration must find a new leader for the men’s basketball program. To make matters more complicated, they won’t have a lot of time to do so, as the new head coach needs to be in place firmly before April 7, the day the transfer portal opens. However, early noise indicates the group in charge has eyes on two candidates.
Who are the candidates?
According to multiple reports, Corrigan and other power brokers at NC State zeroed in on Saint Louis head coach Josh Schertz and Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey as the primary two candidates for the opening. Both names were expected to be in the mix as soon as the Wade exit became more and more likely, although Corrigan shared no specific names during his Thursday press conference.
The NC State University Board of Trustees hosted an emergency meeting on Friday, with the primary subject being Wade’s buyout negotiation. Of course, speculation began quickly that there were discussions about the next coach of the Wolfpack, but that’s been confirmed not to be the case in the behind-closed-doors meeting for the board.
NC State Board of Trustees emergency meeting related to change in term of Will Wade’s buyout (from $5M to $4M, as AD Boo Corrigan said yesterday) not a new coach hire. Quickly went into closed session. No public business.
— Brian Murphy (@murphsturph) March 27, 2026
Even so, it seems as though NC State plans on making a strong push for Schertz first, despite his status as head coach at Saint Louis still and his recent agreement to a contract extension. That certainly makes things more complicated, but hiring Schertz would allow NC State to maintain any sort of positive momentum established by Wade and his regime in Raleigh. Still, Corrigan isn’t totally committed to a sitting head coach.
“I don’t think it has to be a sitting head coach at this point,” Corrigan said. “I think we want to find someone that knows how to coach and is a great coach, and has the ability to connect with people, both internal and external, with the players, be able to recruit. You have to be a good recruiter in this day and age.”
NC State will move as quickly as it possibly can, with Gainey and Schertz atop the list. That doesn’t rule out other options entirely, but all signs point to one of them being the most likely to be the next coach of the Wolfpack, ending the Will Wade era as quickly as it started.
Oklahoma
Rapper Snoop Dogg to star in, produce ‘God of the Rodeo’ film shot in Oklahoma
Rapper and hip hop icon Snoop Dogg is set to produce and star in a feature film that will be shot in Oklahoma this year.
“God of the Rodeo” is based on a 1998 book from New York-based journalist and author Daniel Bergner, who reported on inmates competing in a controversial rodeo inside Louisiana’s Angola Prison in the 1960s. According to Deadline, the film centers around Bucckey, an inmate serving a life sentence who “finds a glimmer of redemption” through the rodeo. Snoop’s role has not yet been announced.
The film is directed by Rosalind Ross, who is best known for writing, directing and executive producing “Father Stu.” Snoop will produce alongside Sara Ramker, Giannina Scott and Ridley Scott, Deadline reports.
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce confirmed to News 9 on Friday “God of the Rodeo” was pre-approved for the state’s film incentive program through Oklahoma Film + Music.
Filming is scheduled in Oklahoma for June 15 through July 31, according to Oklahoma Film + Music’s website. The website also lists Tulsa-based production company Rebellium Films as working on the film. Filming locations have not been announced yet.
South-Carolina
SC measles outbreak remains stalled with no new cases reported
Watch Spartanburg nurse practitioner Chandler Nash talk about measles
Chandler Hash, a nurse practitioner at Parkside Health Center talks about measles and vaccine
Not long ago, it appeared almost certain that the measles outbreak centered in Spartanburg would surpass 1,000 cases.
Now that case total may be unlikely.
On March 27, DPH reported no new infections. The total number of cases remains at 997, where it has stood since March 17, when DPH reported one new infection.
There is currently one person in quarantine, according to the March 27 DPH update.
The measles outbreak began in October and grew somewhat slowly until the Christmas holidays. In January, the number of cases exploded—from 185 on Jan. 2 to 847 on Jan. 30.
In a March 25 media briefing, state epidemiologist Linda Bell was asked about the declining number of cases.
She credited an uptick in vaccinations in January and February, as well as DPH efforts to identify cases quickly and quarantine people who were infected or exposed.
If no new infections occur, DPH officials said the outbreak could be declared ended on April 26.
DPH officials explained that it takes 42 days with no new infections, “to declare an end to a measles outbreak. This is double the number of days for an incubation period (21 days) and a clear indicator of a broken transmission chain.”
Bell said DPH is asking school nurses and physicians’ offices to report any possible measles symptoms.
She added that health officials are keeping an eye on spring break — April 6-10 for public schools in Spartanburg County — as families might travel for vacation or to visit family members. People lacking immunity could be at risk.
“We remain vigilant,” Bell said, stressing that the two-dose MMR vaccine is the most effective protection against the spread of measles.
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