In brief
As the federal government shutdown enters its second day, over 1,000 flights have been cancelled and nearly 4,000 delayed across the United States. The FAA has reduced air travel capacity by up to 10% at major airports due to fatigue among air traffic controllers who are working without pay. With Thanksgiving approaching, travel chaos is expected to grow as flight cuts increase in the coming days.
More than 1,000 flights to, from, or within the US were cancelled on Saturday after airlines were advised to cut traffic due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
According to flight tracker FlightAware, nearly 4,000 flights were delayed, a decrease from over 7,000 on Friday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced earlier this week that it would reduce air travel capacity by up to 10% at 40 of the busiest airports as air traffic controllers report fatigue while working without pay during the shutdown.
With a divided Congress failing to agree on a solution, the shutdown that began on October 1 continues with impacts spreading across the aviation industry.
New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport has been notably affected, with arrivals delayed by an average of over four hours and departures by roughly 1.5 hours.
Flight cancellations were most prominent at Charlotte/Douglas International, Newark Liberty International, and Chicago O'Hare International.
As of Saturday afternoon, airports experiencing significant delays included John F Kennedy International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, and La Guardia.
Planning ahead, officials are concerned that with Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, this will be one of the busiest travel periods of the year in the US.
In addition to commercial flights, restrictions have also been placed on private jets to alleviate the burden on high traffic airports.
The FAA expects things to worsen in the coming days, detailing a gradual increase in flight cancellations from 4% on Friday to a complete 10% by November 14.
Safety is the primary concern cited by the FAA, emphasizing that air traffic controllers, classified as essential workers, have continued to work without compensation.
As the nation nears 40 days of the longest shutdown in its history, bipartisan negotiations are ongoing in Washington over the weekend to find a resolution. The TSA employees, which include 64,000 agents, are similarly disadvantaged and also unpaid during this period.
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