So, the FAA's decided to screw things up even more with these "mandatory" flight cuts at major airports like Orlando and Tampa. Classic. Forty freakin' airports are getting the chop, all thanks to the government shutdown. You know, the one we're all paying for? Give me a break.
Avelo's already issuing some canned statement about "thoughtful schedule changes." Translation: they're scrambling. But here's where it gets interesting...
Lakeland Linder International Airport might actually benefit from this dumpster fire.
Kris Hallstrand, the airport director down there, is all smiles and sunshine, talking about "mitigating the impact" and offering themselves as an "alternative airport." Which, let's be real, is probably code for "we'll take any flights you can throw our way." Desperate times, desperate measures, offcourse.
The real kicker? The air traffic control tower at Lakeland isn't even run by the FAA directly. It's some company called RVA Robinson Aviation, still getting paid. So, while Orlando and Tampa are bleeding staff and flights, Lakeland's just sitting pretty, ready to swoop in and steal some business.
Talk about a sweet deal. It's like watching a bunch of toddlers fight over a toy while the quiet kid in the corner just walks off with the whole damn box.
But hold on, before we crown Lakeland the undisputed champion of this clusterfuck, let's remember the TSA agents. The ones who are actually working without pay. Hallstrand's all praise and gratitude for their "phenomenal" attitudes. And yeah, that's great and all, but maybe, just maybe, the feds should, you know, pay them. Just a thought.
Seriously, how long are these cuts going to last? Are we talking Thanksgiving travel chaos? Because if grandma can't make it because some bureaucrat can't get their act together, heads are gonna roll. Or at least, they should roll.
I mean, isn't this the same FAA that was supposed to modernize air traffic control like, a decade ago? Instead, we're stuck with budget cuts and shutdown-induced flight reductions. Maybe instead of cutting flights, they should cut some of the bloat in their own damn offices.
My neighbor keeps telling me about his drone, and how he's going to start delivering packages. At this rate, he'll probably be running a better airline than the FAA.
Avelo already flies to eight destinations from Lakeland. None of those are affected by the flight cuts. So will they increase flights from Lakeland to compensate for the cuts elsewhere? Or will they just reduce flights overall?
Hallstrand is "in communication" with Avelo. But what does that really mean? Are they offering incentives? Are they promising lower fees? Or are they just hoping Avelo sees the opportunity and jumps on it? The article doesn't say. Further details about the potential for increased Avelo flights can be found in Could FAA cuts to Orlando, Tampa airports result in more Avelo flights to Lakeland Linder?.
This whole situation smells like opportunity mixed with desperation. Lakeland might get a temporary boost, but it's built on the back of a dysfunctional system. It's like celebrating a winning lottery ticket while the house is burning down. I ain't buying it.
