The US aviation system is facing its deepest crisis in years due to the ongoing federal government’s shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has now warned that airlines could be forced to slash up to 20 percent of flights if the shutdown continues. His warning came on a day when airlines in the United States were already trying to figure out how to handle the sudden and unusual cuts ordered by the Trump administration.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines to slash 4 percent of flights at 40 major airports on Friday because of the shutdown. That number will rise to 10 per cent by November 14 if nothing changes.
US Airlines ordered to cut flights amid shutdown
Duffy said he might have to order 20 percent cuts in flights if more controllers stop coming in. “I look at the data,” he told reporters. “We’re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace.”
The flight cuts began at 6 am ET and include around 700 flights from the big four carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines. The cuts will rise to 6 percent on Tuesday and then 10 percent by November 14.
Why the FAA is imposing flight cuts
Duffy said the reductions were based on safety data, including cases where planes didn’t keep a proper distance or came too close during ground movements. Duffy said safety issues have been rising. “We’ve seen more breaches in separation, more tarmac incursions, and more pilot complaints about stressed or unresponsive controllers,” he told reporters, according to CBS News.
The FAA is also limiting space launches, and authorities may cut up to 10 percent of private-plane flights at busy airports. International flights are not part of the order. There have already been at least three close calls at major airports during the shutdown.
Shutdown hits US air travel
The shutdown has now dragged into November and has been going on for 38 days. About 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been working without pay. Workers have already missed their second paycheck. Many controllers were officially told on Thursday that they would once again receive no pay next week, according to Reuters
On Friday, more than 5,300 flights were delayed nationwide and more than 1,000 flights were cancelled nationwide as airlines adjusted operations during the government shutdown, according to FlightAware. At Reagan Washington National Airport, delays averaged four hours, with 17 percent of flights canceled and nearly 40 percent delayed.
The Trump administration is trying to put pressure on Democrats to accept the Republican plan to fund the government. Democrats say Republicans are responsible for the shutdown because they refuse to negotiate on extending health insurance subsidies.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul shared a photo of a flight board full of cancellations, writing, “The GOP shutdown has grounded America, just in time for the holidays!”
What major US airlines are saying
American Airlines
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told CNBC, he doesn’t expect big trouble at first, but warned that the situation will get worse if the cuts continue. “This level of cancellation is going to grow over time, and that’s going to be a problem,” he said on CNBC. The airline told Reuters that their 220 cancelled flights on Friday affected 12,000 passengers, though most were re-routed within a few hours.
United Airlines
United said half of its affected passengers were able to be rebooked within four hours. The airline cancelled 184 flights on Friday and expects to slash 168 on Saturday and 158 on Sunday.
Delta Air Lines
Delta said it has already completed all required cuts for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Passengers whose flights were cancelled were automatically rebooked. Refunds are available for anyone choosing not to fly. FlightAware reported 851 cancellations on Friday, 670 on Saturday, and 274 on Sunday. Only 202 flights were cancelled on Thursday.