Shutdown could reduce US flights ‘to a trickle’, transport secretary warns

Flight delays and cancellations continue to negatively impact US air travel for a third day, with Transport Secretary Sean Duffy warning that air traffic will be “reduced to a trickle” if the US government shutdown continues.

About 1,400 flights to, from or within the U.S. were canceled and 2,700 delayed as of Sunday morning, according to flight tracker FlightAware. The longest delays were reported in Newark, New Jersey, averaging more than two hours.

In a hopeful sign, lawmakers are working on a possible deal to compromise on government funding and end the shutdown, according to US media reports.

The Senate was scheduled to meet in a rare weekend session on Sunday.

Duffy warned that if this impasse is not broken quickly, the impacts on air travel will become even more serious.

“You’re going to see air travel drop to a trickle,” he said on CNN Sunday. Travelers trying to fly home for the Thanksgiving holiday later this month may not be able to get there, he added.

“A lot of them won’t be able to get on a plane because there won’t be as many flights if this thing doesn’t open back up,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last week that it would reduce air travel capacity at the nation’s 40 busiest airports by up to 6% this weekend and 10% by next weekend. The cuts do not apply to international flights, but some airlines may choose to cancel some of those flights, the FAA said.

Air traffic controllers who were not paid during the shutdown are reportedly tired and absent from work, resulting in cuts to air traffic allowances.

Duffy said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered to have military air traffic controllers step in to assist, but he rejected the offer because they do not have the authority to direct air traffic at civilian airports.

In total, hundreds of thousands of federal workers have gone unpaid since the Government ran out of money on October 1. Food aid for low-income Americans is also in limbo, with the administration agreeing to pay only half of monthly benefits.

Sunday marked the 40th day of the longest shutdown in history; Republicans and Democrats still haven’t agreed on a funding decision to reopen the government.

Republicans and Democrats blamed each other for causing stalemate and travel disruptions.

Democrats refuse to support any Republican spending plan unless money for health insurance subsidies is included, while Republicans want to provide funding with nothing else included.

President Donald Trump suggested over the weekend that money should be sent directly to Americans to buy health insurance rather than through insurance companies.

Republican senators are working on a compromise package that could end the deadlock, possibly with an amendment vote on Sunday.