(NEXSTAR) – The current U.S. government shutdown, now the longest in history, is significantly impacting air travel. Starting Friday, airlines at 40 airports have been instructed to start cutting back their flights gradually.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) states these reductions are vital to ease the strain on air traffic controllers, who are currently working without pay during the shutdown. While employees are still expected to come to work, many are facing financial difficulties and might resort to calling in sick to find side gigs or extra jobs.
The FAA and the Department of Transportation mandated an initial 4% decrease in flights from designated high-traffic airports, effective immediately.
Coming up, a 6% reduction is required by Tuesday, November 11th, jumping to 8% by November 13th. On Friday, November 14th, airlines will have to reduce their operations by 10%.
Estimates suggest that these reductions could result in the cancellation of approximately 1,800 flights and around 268,000 available seats.
Notable airports impacted include major hubs like Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, and Newark. There’s an interactive map available that lists all affected airports.
Alongside potential flight delays and cancellations, these cuts could disrupt package deliveries since airports with significant distribution centers, such as those in Memphis and Louisville, are affected. This comes following a tragic cargo plane crash in Kentucky earlier this week.
It’s worth noting that even airports not shown on the map may see considerable disruptions. Even a few sick calls can severely affect operations at smaller airports, especially given the current strain on staff.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that air traffic reductions might intensify if the shutdown continues beyond another week. He remarked, “If we continue in this manner and more controllers can’t make it to work, we could find ourselves needing to go beyond a 10% cut to 15% or 20%.”
