Extended U.S. government shutdown could affect Canadian air travel: experts say

As the U.S. government shutdown reaches day 37, air travel could get messier this weekend across the border.

The Trump administration is warning of significant disruptions if they are forced to cut air traffic at 40 busy American airports Friday, but what does this all mean for Canadian travellers?

Experts say the North American air travel system is so integrated, that American airport delays affecting planes heading to Canada could cause a ripple effect of delays here, but that’s not their only concern.

“There could be some cancellations of flights,” said John Gradek, a lecturer in aviation management at McGill University.

Gradek says the planned reduction in air traffic control capabilities Friday could hinder flights going to and from the U.S., but also flights just passing over U.S. airspace.

“We have flights in Canada that operate — let’s say from Toronto to Vancouver — those flights do operate over U.S. airspace, and if there is a problem with getting clearances from U.S. air traffic to transit U.S. airspace, those flights will be diverted to operate via Canada only, and that will be an automatic hour, hour-and-a-half delay,” said Gradek.

WATCH MORE: U.S. government shuts down after Trump, Congress fail to reach agreement

The U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told FOX News that Friday’s move is a safety measure.

“This was not a political decision,” said Duffy. “This was a data driven decision to make the right calls to get ahead of any issues that could happen in the airspace that could have negative consequences.”

Air traffic controllers are essential workers, so they are required to be on the job, but they are getting their second empty paycheck of the shutdown next week.

“When you don’t pay somebody for 37 days and say, ‘hey, just keep showing up and do your best,’ people are going to have issues and they’re mounting daily,” said Nick Daniels, the President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

This is the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, and air travellers in the States say they have already seen delays.

In a statement to CHCH News, Transport Canada says it is aware of the situation and is closely monitoring it through its 24/7 Operations Centre, adding that travellers should check the status of their flights in advance.

WATCH MORE: U.S. government shutdown: A guide to what’s still open and who’s affected