Washington, November 10: Hundreds of thousands of travelers faced severe flight delays and cancellations across the United States on Sunday, the worst day for air travel disruptions since the start of the 40-day government shutdown, as shortages of air traffic controllers forced airlines to scale back operations.
Airlines canceled more than 2,800 flights and delayed over 10,200, according to federal aviation data, marking the third straight day of widespread disruption. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has instructed airlines to cut 4% of daily flights at 40 major airports due to safety concerns linked to staff shortages. The reductions are set to rise to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by November 14.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the situation could deteriorate further ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday on November 27. “It’s only going to get worse… air travel could be reduced to a trickle if this shutdown continues,” he said on CNN’s State of the Union.
The record-long shutdown, which began on October 1, has left thousands of air traffic controllers and transportation security staff working without pay. Duffy said retirements among controllers had surged from four a day before the shutdown to as many as 20, leaving the FAA short by up to 2,000 personnel.
Airlines for America, which represents major U.S. carriers, said the crisis has disrupted travel plans for more than four million passengers since October 1 and could cost the U.S. economy between $285 million and $580 million per day by next week.
The U.S. Senate late on Sunday voted to advance a bill to reopen the government, sending airline shares higher in premarket trading on Monday. United Airlines rose 1.9%, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines gained 1.4% each, and Alaska Air added 1%. The bill must still pass the House of Representatives and be signed by President Donald Trump.
United Airlines said it would cancel 190 flights on Monday and 269 on Tuesday. American Airlines urged Congress to swiftly approve the funding bill, noting that aviation workers have not been paid for six weeks.
The FAA confirmed staffing shortages at 12 air traffic control towers nationwide. Republican Senator Ted Cruz said pilots have filed more than 500 safety reports linked to controller fatigue since the shutdown began.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned the disruptions could dent fourth-quarter growth. “Thanksgiving time is one of the hottest periods for the economy, and if people aren’t traveling, we could be looking at a negative quarter,” he said on CBS’s Face the Nation.
If the shutdown continues, Duffy has warned flight reductions could reach 20%, raising fears of a prolonged and severe impact on the aviation industry and the broader U.S. economy.
