US AIRPRESS Cancels more than 2,100 flights Sunday amid government shutdown
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US airlines canceled more than 2,100 flights on Sunday as US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the nation’s air traffic “if the Federal government shuts down lingers in the busy travel area.”
The decline at the highest of these highest airports is now in its third day and is starting to cause more disruption. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week ordered the reduction of flights at the leading airports in the country as some air traffic controllers, who have paid, have not been paid for their work.
In addition, 7,000 flight delays were reported on Sunday alone, according to Flaaware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions. More than 1,000 flights were canceled on Friday and more than 1,500 on Saturday.
The FAA cuts began Friday at 4 percent and will increase to 10 percent on November 14. They are starting at 6 a.m. local time and will affect all commercial flights.
The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta had the most cancellations on Sunday, followed by more than 570.
In the US, more than 1,000 flights were canceled and thousands were delayed as the Federal Aviation Administration grapples with the effects of the 37-day government shutdown that remains.
Traveler Kyra Mashi finally arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson on Sunday after a series of postponements the previous day.
“I was coming from Tampa and the flight was delayed, delayed, delayed. Then it got delayed and came back this morning,” she said.
The FAA said staffing shortages at Newark and Laguardia airports in New York were leading to scheduled delays of up to 75 minutes.
Michigan’s Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Country Airport was empty Sunday morning, with short wait times at security checkpoints as delays and cancellations filled the departure and arrival boards.
‘Many Administrators Coming to Work’
Earlier on Sunday, Duffy warned that air traffic could be significantly reduced if the closure continues. He said more flight reductions — perhaps as much as 20 percent — would be needed, especially after regulators could not get a definitive payment timeline.
“Many managers will work day in, day out, without pay,” Duffy said FOX News on Sunday.
And he prepared Americans for what they might face during the hectic Thanksgiving holiday.
The grounding of US domestic flights continues at 40 airports in response to the government shutdown. The FAA has ordered a 4 percent reduction in flights, and is expected to increase it to 10 percent late next week. CBC’s Julia Wong on how the cuts could affect Canadian travelers, especially those catching connecting flights in the US
“As I look at the two weeks out, as we get closer to Thanksgiving, I think what’s going to happen is you’re going to have a little bit of travel spirit as everyone wants to go see their families,” Duffy said.
With “very few controllers” working, “you’re going to have fewer flights coming and going” and thousands of cancellations, he said.
“You’re going to have a lot of trouble. I think the majority of Americans are angry. I think we have to be honest about where this is going. It can’t be better,” Duffy said. “It gets worse until the air traffic controllers get paid.”
The government has been short on aviation regulators for years, and several presidential administrations have tried to convince retirement-age regulators to stay on the job. Duffy said the shutdown exacerbated the problem, prompting air traffic controllers to accelerate their retirements.
“Up to 15 or 20 a day it retires,” Duffy told CNN.
Duffy said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth messaged him about the Offer to ARELL AIR TRIKALERBERS, but it was not clear if the employees were guaranteed that the employees were working on public programs.
Duffy rejected democratic charges that the flight cancellations were a political ploy, saying they were necessary because of the imminent expansion of the internal system.
“I needed to take action to keep people safe,” Duffy said. “I’m doing what I can to smear the Democrats in my lap.”
Airlines of America, the trade group that represents US carriers, said delays related to traffic control exceeded 3,000 hours on Saturday, the highest of the shutdown, and that labor issues accounted for 71 percent of the delays.
From Oct. 1 to Nov. 7, a lack of controls disrupted more than four million passengers on American carriers, according to American Airlines.
