Passengers in the United States are bracing for heightened airport woes in the coming days unless a resolution is reached by Congress to end the government shutdown. Over the weekend, U.S. airlines were forced to cancel over 1,500 flights on Saturday and more than 2,900 on Sunday following a directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to lessen air traffic due to a significant number of unpaid air traffic controllers not reporting for duty.
As of Monday morning, airlines had already axed close to 1,600 flights for Monday and almost 1,000 for Tuesday. The trend of daily cancellations exceeding 1,000 flights has persisted for the fourth consecutive day, with a winter storm in Chicago exacerbating the chaos.
Although the Senate has taken initial steps to end the shutdown, final approval might still be a few days away. Even after the government reopens, it is anticipated that a considerable amount of time will be required for flight operations to return to normalcy.
Numerous airports are grappling with extensive delays for flights that have not been canceled. Airports in Newark, Orlando, Chicago, and Detroit are experiencing departure delays surpassing an hour and escalating, according to FlightAware data. This is the second pay period where air traffic controllers have not received compensation for their services. Nick Daniels, the head of the air traffic controllers union, will address the impact of the shutdown in a news conference on Monday.
The situation is poised to deteriorate further as airlines struggle to reposition aircraft, crew, and pilots due to the shortage of air traffic controllers. The FAA has mandated a four percent reduction in flights over the weekend to manage staffing, with plans to escalate to six percent by Tuesday and ten percent by the upcoming weekend. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suggested on Fox News Sunday that additional flight cuts of up to 20 percent may be necessary.
The looming crisis has been exacerbated by the longstanding shortage of air traffic controllers in the U.S., with the shutdown prompting an acceleration of retirements among controllers. Despite the seemingly modest four percent reduction, the impact is substantial, particularly at the nation’s busiest and most congested airports. The FAA emphasizes that the flight reduction is crucial for passenger safety, as the remaining controllers are overworked due to prolonged hours and mandatory overtime amid the funding impasse.
If left unresolved, the situation could escalate further as the U.S. approaches the bustling holiday travel season, with air travel potentially grinding to a halt by Thanksgiving week.