On Tuesday, flight reductions at U.S. airports reached as high as 6%, with both cancellations and delays on the rise since early morning.
As reported by aviation tracking websites, 745 flights were delayed and 1,180 canceled by midday Tuesday. It’s worth noting that these figures don’t differentiate between FAA-imposed reductions and those due to scheduled maintenance or weather issues.
This past weekend saw an even larger impact, with 1,566 flights canceled on Saturday and 2,953 on Sunday. Delays climbed to 7,545 on Saturday and 10,978 on Sunday, as senators worked around the clock to finalize a plan to reopen the government.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a decision to limit flights at 40 U.S. airports in an effort to ensure the safety of travelers and staff, given ongoing staffing shortages amid the government shutdown.
The reductions are set to commence at 6 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, increasing to 8% and 10%, respectively.
As fate would have it, Tuesday also marked a second consecutive paycheck-less day for air traffic controllers, many of whom were working required overtime. Staffing issues were already a concern prior to the shutdown, but absenteeism and retirements among air traffic controllers have added to the flight disruptions nationwide.
New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport experienced the most significant impact on Tuesday, with 55 delays and 52 cancellations. Following it was Georgia’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with 18 delays and 28 cancellations, and then Boston’s Logan International Airport with 23 delays and 17 cancellations.
All of this unfolds amid a prolonged 42-day government shutdown, although there seems to be a glimmer of hope now that the Senate has approved a continuing resolution to fund the government, which will soon be voted on in the House.
Even if funding issues are resolved, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy expressed last week that flight reductions would persist until the FAA can ensure stable staffing levels.
On Monday, President Trump urged air traffic controllers to “get back to work now!!!” While he promised a $10,000 bonus to those still on duty, he also indicated that those who hadn’t returned wouldn’t qualify for the incentive.
