BYU fans traveling to weekend game impacted by FAA travel cutback
Nov 7, 2025, 2:01 PM
A plane prepares to take off near the airport traffic control tower at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. (Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
(Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – Brigham Young University football fans headed to Lubbock, Texas, for the weekend’s big game against Texas Tech are among the many people seeing their flights canceled due to the government shutdown.
On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it would reduce air traffic by 10% in 40 “high-volume” markets beginning Friday morning, according to the Associated Press. The cutback is expected to impact thousands of flights nationwide while air traffic controllers work to maintain safety, the Associated Press reported.
Related: SLC airport sees cancellations early Friday as FAA flight reductions begin
BYU fans impacted
The FAA’s reduction has impacted Utah travelers, specifically those BYU fans caught at the airport ahead of the big game.
Scott, Russell, and the rest of their family all found out early Friday morning that their flight coming back from Texas had been cancelled. But, they said they were lucky to find a different flight just in time. They said they would be willing to rent a car and drive back if necessary.
Another fan also told KSL he booked his flight three months ago, only for it to get canceled at the last minute.
BYU fan Tyler Noorda said he got an alert from his airline that there could be cancellations, but he ended up being one of the lucky ones.
Regardless of the widespread disruptions, the fans made it clear that nothing was getting in the way of them getting to Texas to cheer on their Cougars.
Related: Salt Lake City among 40 airports to receive 10% service cut amid government shutdown
Contributing: Carlysle Price, KSL NewsRadio
