Washington (AFP) – Travelers across the United States were left scrambling to rebook flights as the government shutdown heaps pressure on the country’s air traffic control system, prompting hundreds of Friday flight cancellations at major American airports. Airlines starting Friday will begin implementing up to a 10-percent reduction in flights for 40 high-traffic areas of the country, complying with a Federal Aviation Administration order made on safety grounds.
More than 750 US flights scheduled for Friday have been preemptively canceled Thursday, according to tracking website FlightAware. American Airlines said in a statement it was reducing its flight schedules “amounting to 220 flights cancelled each day.” Delta Airlines was axing about 170 flights scheduled for Friday, the carrier said, while broadcaster CNN reported Southwest Airlines nixed around 100 flights set for that day. The shutdown has left tens of thousands of air traffic controllers, airport security staff and others without pay, causing personnel shortages.
On Thursday, more than 6,400 US flights were delayed, with some 200 cancellations, FlightAware data showed, as passengers faced long lines at security checkpoints. Major airports were impacted, with travelers at Boston and Newark airports facing average delays of more than two hours, and those at Chicago’s O’Hare and Washington’s Reagan National more than an hour. Authorities said they wanted to act before an accident occurred. “We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
The reduction measures come as the country enters its busiest travel time of the year, with the Thanksgiving holiday just weeks away. As millions of Americans face likely travel chaos amid a shortage of air traffic control personnel, President Donald Trump’s administration sought to reassure people that flying remained safe. “It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said late Thursday on X.
The new cancellations could affect thousands of flights every day. Flight reductions will begin at four percent on Friday and rise to 10 percent, media outlets reported. Flight reductions are set to hit some of the country’s busiest airports, including in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles. Implementing the order on short notice will be a challenge for airlines, which operate complex networks that rely on many moving parts and personnel.
United Airlines and Delta, two of the country’s largest carriers, have said they are complying with the order but that it would not affect their international routes. United added that “hub-to-hub” flying would also not be affected, indicating cancellations might hit more local routes. Federal agencies across the United States have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, with some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to national park rangers, still on enforced leave or working without pay. Many in high-stress aviation-related jobs are now calling in sick and potentially working second jobs in order to pay their bills, Duffy said Wednesday.
FAA Administrator Bedford said the situation was unprecedented. “I am not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” he said Wednesday. “Then again, we’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”
© 2024 AFP
