Passengers face global disruption as flights cut amid US government shutdown | Air transport
The US government’s order to impose severe cuts on commercial air traffic following the government shutdown went into effect; Major airports across the country have experienced significant reductions in schedules and travelers are scrambling to adjust their plans.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the move was necessary to maintain air traffic control safety during the federal government shutdown; This is the longest shutdown ever recorded, with air traffic controllers going without pay, and there is no sign of any decision.
As airlines begin to reduce domestic flights, global hubs such as JFK in New York and LAX in Los Angeles will be affected, meaning delays and sudden changes that could have a cascading impact on international air traffic.
“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to ensure the American public can continue to fly safely,” said FAA administrator Bryan Bedford.
Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the beginning of the shutdown last month, which began after a dispute between Republicans and Democrats over spending plans, already causing delays.
US transportation secretary Sean Duffy announced 40 “high traffic” airports across the country that must reduce flights. A 4% reduction in operations at these airports has come into effect, but this will increase to 10% next week.
Duffy accused Democrats of being responsible for any “mass chaos” that might ensue, even though the shutdown was the result of both Republicans and Democrats refusing to accept a deal.
The disruptions could amount to 1,800 flights and up to 268,000 seats in total, aviation analytics firm Cirium estimates.
Due to deep hostility between the two political parties, Donald Trump’s government broke the record for the longest shutdown set during his first term in 2018-19.
United, Southwest and Delta airlines began canceling flights Thursday evening.
Affected airports span more than two dozen states, including some of the busiest across the U.S., such as Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco. Flight schedules will be reduced in some of the largest US cities, including New York, Houston and Chicago.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a statement that the airline “will continue to make ongoing updates to our schedule as the government shutdown continues, minimizing disruptions by giving our customers several days’ notice.”
Delta Air Lines said it would comply with the directive and “expects to operate the vast majority of our flights as scheduled.”
The disruption to airspace comes two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, typically the busiest travel period of the year, increasing pressure on lawmakers to reach a deal to end the shutdown.
American Airlines said in a statement that most customers will not be affected, long-haul international travel will continue as planned and customers will be able to change their flights or request a refund. “In the meantime, we continue to urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate solution to end the shutdown,” the airline said.
According to the administration, the government shutdown has led to a shortage of up to 3,000 air traffic controllers; Additionally, at least 11,000 more people receive zero wages despite being classified as essential workers.
“I am not aware of a situation in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we have encountered such measures,” Bedford said. “We are in new territory in terms of a government shutdown.”
