FAA flight cancellations to worsen in government shutdown

Nearly 7,000 US flights were delayed and more than 2,000 were canceled on Saturday amid staffing shortages for air traffic controllers across the country, and the country’s airlines will be forced to cut hundreds. More flights Next week if Congress cannot reach a solution to end the crisis Government shutdown – Now the longest in US history.

Trump administration officials this week ordered airlines to launch Cutting flights On 40 US is busy Airports On Friday, he blamed “increasing reports of stress on the system from pilots and air traffic controllers” in large part for the closure.

Late Friday, Senate Republicans unacceptable Democratic proposal to reopen government.

“Due to the prolonged government shutdown and nationwide air traffic control staffing shortages, we, like most airlines, are experiencing additional, widespread delays and cancellations across the country today despite the advanced cancellations the FAA has asked us to make.” American Airlines he said in a notice to customers on Saturday. “We, once again, urge leaders in Washington, D.C., to find an immediate solution to end the shutdown.”

Air traffic controllers, along with airport security monitors, are being asked to work during the closure without receiving their regular salaries. Federal workers will lose their second full paycheck on Monday, according to their union. Union officials said some observers got second jobs to make ends meet.

Nearly 2,200 U.S. flights were canceled Saturday as of 9:30 p.m. ET, about 7% of the day’s schedule, according to aviation data company Cirium. About a third of that number were canceled early in the day, on par with a day of severe thunderstorms, which, although routine, can be devastating. Friday was the 72nd worst in terms of cancellations since January 1, 2024, Cirium said.

Under the FAA order, flight reductions will increase to 6% of schedules, 8% by Thursday, and 10% next Friday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News on Friday that the cuts could eventually amount to up to 20% of schedules, though he did not elaborate. Airlines have not been asked to cut international flights.

These disruptions occur during a generally low travel season, but the main Thanksgiving weekend is less than three weeks away. The impact on airlines could quadruple given how much prices rise during a period of high demand, Daniel McKenzie, an airline analyst at Seaport Research Partners, said in a note Friday.

Airlines this week waived date change fees for passengers on affected flights, and indicated they can also request refunds. Many customers have been rebooked on alternative flights, while last-minute changes have left others scrambling for other arrangements, airline executives said. HertzFor example, it reported Thursday that when the Federal Aviation Administration made its flight cutting announcement, one-way car rental prices increased 20% during the same two-day period a year earlier.

Delays rose throughout the day Saturday, with more than 6,700 delayed flights arriving in the United States, according to FlightAware. A shortage of air traffic control personnel has led to delays at major airports including Delta Airlines Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, United Airlines Its hubs are Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, and at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a busy US hub, as well as Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Below are the airports to which the FAA and Department of Transportation (DOT) reductions apply: