US Air Travel Grinds Down as Government Shutdown Bites
The longest US government shutdown in history has forced dramatic cuts to commercial air traffic, creating global travel disruption as major airlines cancel hundreds of flights. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) implemented the reductions to maintain safety standards while air traffic controllers work without pay.
Major hubs including JFK in New York and LAX in Los Angeles are experiencing significant schedule reductions, with the cuts expected to worsen over the coming week. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has identified 40 high-traffic airports requiring flight reductions, beginning with a 4% cut that will increase to 10%.
Passengers Scramble as Cancellations Mount
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, the cuts could represent as many as 1,800 flights and over 268,000 seats removed from schedules. Airlines including United, Southwest and Delta Air Lines began cancelling flights on Thursday evening, with disruption expected to ripple through international networks.
Affected airports span more than two dozen states and include the nation's busiest travel hubs: Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, Dallas/Fort Worth, Orlando, Miami and San Francisco. Major cities including New York, Houston and Chicago will see reduced flight schedules.
Thanksgiving Travel Chaos Looms
The timing couldn't be worse for American travellers, with the disruption hitting just two weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday - typically the busiest travel period of the year. The pressure is mounting on lawmakers to reach a deal to end the shutdown.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated, "We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely." He added that the aviation industry is in "new territory" given the unprecedented nature of the situation.
The administration reports shortages of up to 3,000 air traffic controllers, with at least 11,000 more essential workers receiving zero wages despite being required to work. The shutdown began last month following a breakdown between Republicans and Democrats over spending plans, beating the previous record set during 2018-19.
While American Airlines has stated that most customers will be unaffected and long-haul international travel remains scheduled, the airline joined others in urging Washington leaders to reach an immediate resolution. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby confirmed the airline will make rolling schedule updates to minimise disruption to customers.
