Aviation organizations revealed on Sunday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented new restrictions on commercial flights at 12 major airports, a move prompted by staffing shortages and safety concerns amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Ed Bolen, who leads the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), noted that these flight reductions will go into effect early Monday morning, effectively halting commercial flights at affected airports.
This decision follows the FAA’s announcement last week regarding a 10% reduction in air traffic at 40 of the busiest airports across the country.
“Last week, restrictions on all air operations, including those for general aviation, were laid out for 40 U.S. airports,” Bolen stated.
“Furthermore, today’s new regulations will effectively prevent business aviation from operating at 12 of these airports, which disproportionately affects an industry that supports over 1 million jobs, contributes $340 billion to the economy, and regularly conducts humanitarian flights,” he added.
The FAA confirmed to The Hill that it has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) which restricts general aviation at these 12 airports: Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Denver International (DEN), Logan International (BOS), George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL), JFK (JFK), Los Angeles International (LAX), Newark Liberty (EWR), Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA).
“The FAA will allow exceptions for emergency operations, medical transports, and law enforcement, among other crucial missions, and will modify or lift these restrictions as needed,” the FAA stated.
Bolen highlighted aviation safety’s importance but urged Congress to reopen government operations. “Safety is essential to business aviation, and NBAA is devoted to safeguarding the National Airspace System,” he remarked. “We aim to ensure that business airlines are aware of these restrictions and their implications.”
He further emphasized, “This situation highlights the urgent need for the government to reopen for all Americans. NBAA, alongside the broader airline industry, calls on Congress to swiftly resolve the shutdown issues and eliminate the NOTAM once the government reopens.”
After the FAA announced the restrictions last week, flight reductions were set to begin at 4% on Friday, growing to 6% by November 11 and 8% by November 13. By November 14, a 10% reduction in U.S. airspace flights is planned.
Meanwhile, the Senate has initiated steps on Sunday night toward addressing the funding stalemate in Congress; however, finalizing the bill may take several days, prolonging the flight disruptions.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mentioned on Sunday that 15 to 20 air traffic controllers are retiring daily during the shutdown.
