US Airline Traffic to Plummet by 10% Amid Government Shutdown, Officials Say.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have announced that airline traffic at 40 high-volume airports will be reduced by 10% starting this Friday if the government shutdown doesn't end by then. The reduction will affect both passenger and cargo flights, causing flight delays and long security wait times to worsen.
Although specific details on which airports will see the cuts were not provided, experts estimate that routes at major hubs such as New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas are likely to be impacted. The reduction is aimed at reducing stress on air traffic controllers who have been working without pay for nearly four weeks.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that the agency was taking a safety-first approach, citing reports of fatigue among flight controllers as the main concern. "We're in new territory here," he added, emphasizing that the decision to implement the reduction was not taken lightly.
The 10% reduction is expected to result in around 1,800 flights and 268,000 airline seats being cancelled or reduced. This will likely exacerbate the existing flight delays and security wait times that have plagued American airports since the shutdown began.
Airline stocks took a hit on Wednesday after news of the planned reductions broke, dipping by about 1% in extended trading. The announcement comes just weeks before Thanksgiving, which is expected to see some of the busiest travel of the year.
As the shutdown continues to drag on – now entering its 36th day and the longest in US history – officials have warned that further action may be necessary if passenger safety is at risk. Bedford and Duffy said they would be meeting with airline representatives to discuss how to implement the reductions, but did not provide details on how they plan to minimize disruptions to routes or airlines.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have announced that airline traffic at 40 high-volume airports will be reduced by 10% starting this Friday if the government shutdown doesn't end by then. The reduction will affect both passenger and cargo flights, causing flight delays and long security wait times to worsen.
Although specific details on which airports will see the cuts were not provided, experts estimate that routes at major hubs such as New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas are likely to be impacted. The reduction is aimed at reducing stress on air traffic controllers who have been working without pay for nearly four weeks.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that the agency was taking a safety-first approach, citing reports of fatigue among flight controllers as the main concern. "We're in new territory here," he added, emphasizing that the decision to implement the reduction was not taken lightly.
The 10% reduction is expected to result in around 1,800 flights and 268,000 airline seats being cancelled or reduced. This will likely exacerbate the existing flight delays and security wait times that have plagued American airports since the shutdown began.
Airline stocks took a hit on Wednesday after news of the planned reductions broke, dipping by about 1% in extended trading. The announcement comes just weeks before Thanksgiving, which is expected to see some of the busiest travel of the year.
As the shutdown continues to drag on – now entering its 36th day and the longest in US history – officials have warned that further action may be necessary if passenger safety is at risk. Bedford and Duffy said they would be meeting with airline representatives to discuss how to implement the reductions, but did not provide details on how they plan to minimize disruptions to routes or airlines.
it's gonna be a bummer for travelers. 10% less flights? That's a big deal, especially with Thanksgiving just around the corner 
. I feel bad for all those people who were counting on getting to their loved ones safely, now they're worried about delays and long security lines 
. I get that air traffic controllers need a break, but 36 days without pay? That's a lot of stress 
. Hope everything gets sorted out soon 
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Oh no! Air travel is gonna get hit hard 
! I'm kinda worried about flights getting cancelled and security wait times getting even longer 
. As a visual thinker, I'd love to draw a diagram of the impact this will have on air traffic... 
. Routes at major hubs like NYC, DFW, LAX, and ATL are likely to be affected 
. I bet airline stocks are gonna take a hit again 
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. Officials need to find a way to minimize disruptions without compromising safety 
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. Fingers crossed that they can get the shutdown resolved soon and air travel gets back to normal 
10% might seem like a small number, but with peak travel season coming up, it'll be a nightmare. Can't they just sort this out already?! 
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10% is a big chunk to cut from air traffic, i dont know what kinda stress these pilots and air trafic controllers are under but fatigue is no joke bro 
and now airline stocks are taking a hit? that's just great 
how are these ppl supposed to plan for thanksgiving with all this uncertainty? 
The FAA's priority should be finding other solutions that don't involve canceling flights left and right. 
It's just not fair.
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. And with the longest shutdown in US history, it's like nobody knows what's going on 
. The FAA's safety-first approach makes sense I guess, but 1,800 flights getting cancelled? That's a lot of people stuck at airports 
This is so stressful for everyone involved - flight controllers are already working without pay and now we're gonna see 10% less flights?!