Passengers at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts were met with frustration on Tuesday as a result of the government shutdown, which caused a significant increase in flight cancellations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had directed domestic airlines to reduce their flights by 4% at 40 major airports across the United States, including Logan, citing absences and signs of stress among air traffic controllers as a safety concern.

The FAA has since increased the flight reduction goal to 6% on Tuesday and 10% on Friday. As a result, over 75 flights had been canceled at Logan by Tuesday afternoon, following over 160 cancellations the previous day, according to FlightAware.

Rebecca Morris, a passenger from Tewksbury, Massachusetts, shared her struggles trying to leave Boston for a vacation in Florida. She received a notification that her American Airlines flight had been canceled and was forced to switch to a Delta flight for a direct trip.

Airlines have stated that their focus for flight reductions is on smaller regional routes, with efforts to avoid canceling international and major domestic-hub flights. However, JJ Sussman from Israel experienced a canceled flight from Boston to Washington, D. C. , despite his previous flight from Israel going smoothly.

The FAA has expanded flight restrictions, preventing business jets and private flights from using a dozen airports that are already under commercial flight limits. Despite these efforts, controller shortages have resulted in flight delays, including a five-hour delay for arriving flights at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Monday due to wintry weather.

The FAA has warned that staffing shortages at over a dozen towers and control centers could lead to further delays and cancellations for flights departing for cities such as Phoenix, San Diego, New York, and Houston. Additionally, freezing weather in some parts of the country on Tuesday may also contribute to flight disruptions.

The Senate has passed legislation to reopen the government, but it must still pass through the House before final approval, which could take days. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has stated that flight cuts will continue until the FAA sees a stabilization of staffing levels at air traffic control facilities.

Traveler Todd Zacher from Wisconsin remains hopeful that the government shutdown will come to an end soon and flight operations can return to normal.