UPDATE: Airport chaos is escalating as the federal government shutdown drags on, causing severe disruptions in air travel across the United States. With Congress struggling to reach a deal, U.S. airlines have already canceled over 1,500 flights on Saturday and more than 2,900 on Sunday, following an FAA mandate to reduce air traffic due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.
As of early Monday, nearly 1,600 flights have been canceled, with prospects for Tuesday showing an additional 1,000 cancellations. Airports in Newark, Orlando, Chicago, and Detroit are experiencing significant delays, with departures lagging by over an hour, according to data from FlightAware.
The crisis marks the second pay period that air traffic controllers have gone unpaid, pushing many to stop reporting for work. Nick Daniels, head of the air traffic controllers union, is set to hold a press conference Monday morning to discuss the impact of the ongoing shutdown.
The situation is expected to worsen as airlines struggle to reposition aircraft and staff due to the dwindling number of available controllers. The FAA has implemented a 4% mandatory reduction in flights this weekend, which will escalate to 6% on Tuesday and a staggering 10% by the upcoming weekend. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that cuts could reach 20% if the situation continues to deteriorate.
Duffy stated on “Fox News Sunday,” “More controllers aren’t coming to work day by day, the further they go without a paycheck.” This shortage has compounded an existing issue, as the nation has faced a chronic lack of air traffic controllers for years. Efforts by multiple administrations to retain controllers nearing retirement have been largely unsuccessful.
The current flight reductions, while seeming modest, are particularly impactful at 40 of the busiest airports in the country. The FAA insists that these measures are essential to ensure passenger safety amid increasing workloads for the remaining controllers, who are already working long hours and mandatory overtime.
If the government shutdown is not resolved soon, the situation could escalate dramatically, especially as the busy holiday travel season approaches. Duffy cautioned that air travel could “be reduced to a trickle” by Thanksgiving week if the staffing crisis is not addressed promptly.
Travelers are urged to stay informed and monitor flight statuses closely as the situation develops. The ripple effects of the shutdown are being felt across the nation, impacting not just flights but the plans and lives of countless Americans.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story unfolds.
