The Federal Aviation Administration’s emergency plan to throttle flights at 40 major airports is now causing a wave of cancellations and delays across the country. On Sunday alone, more than 2,800 flights were canceled and over 10,000 delayed in what became the worst day for air-travel disruptions since the federal government shutdown began in late September, Reuters reports.
Among the many government employees affected are air traffic controllers — civil servants employed by the FAA, which sits within the Department of Transportation. Deemed “essential workers," some 13,000 controllers and 50,000 TSA officers are still working without pay.
The FAA announced the flight cuts last week, with officials saying the emergency move is needed to keep skies safe.
Airlines triage routes, offer rebookings
United Airlines plans to cut hundreds of flights on Monday and Tuesday, while American and Southwest are prioritizing long-haul and hub-to-hub service.
New York-area airports are experiencing some of the worst delays, NBC reports. But news coverage and social media posts suggests the pain is widespread, including significant delays at smaller, more regional airports such as Charleston, South Carolina and Richmond, Virginia.
For passengers, experts recommend checking airline apps, signing up for text alerts, and monitoring FlightAware.com for real-time "misery maps." Immediate rebooking flexibility could be limited as capacity shrinks, given the widespread pain.
Many airlines are offering free rebookings, refunds, or waiving change fees even for flights not directly affected. To find individual airlines' policies, check the "news" sections of their websites.
Airlines for America, a trade group representing major carriers, estimates more than four million passengers have already had their travel plans disrupted. The group projects that, within days, the shutdown will be draining almost $600 million a day from the wider U.S. economy.
Duffy says more pain to come, denies political motivation for cuts
“It’s only going to get worse,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a weekend television interview. “Two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel reduced to a trickle.” Duffy said the cuts — imposed because of air-traffic-control staffing shortages — could deepen to 10% by November 14 and potentially reach 20% if conditions worsen.
Duffy, who has denied that the cuts are politically motivated, continues to receive his salary during the shutdown. That's because cabinet-level officials are paid through permanent appropriations unaffected by agency funding lapses.
Even if Congress ends the shutdown this week, Duffy has said he won’t stop the flight cuts until more controllers return — meaning that disruptions could stretch well into the holiday season. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned that Thanksgiving slowdowns could could contribute to negative GDP growth.