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Come Tuesday, flights across the country will be reduced by 6 percent on orders from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), despite an end to the government shutdown in sight.
The FAA first decreased flight capacity at 40 “high-traffic” airports last Friday, with a 4 percent reduction. At 6 a.m. on Tuesday, that will increase to 6 percent, with increases to 8 percent and 10 percent set for 6 a.m. on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
FAA head Bryan Bedford, citing widespread air traffic controller shortages, said at a press conference last Thursday that the move is meant to “reassure the American travelers that it is absolutely safe to fly in the American skies.”
Air traffic controllers are set to miss their second consecutive paycheck Tuesday, as the record-breaking government shutdown continues. As a result, many have missed work, causing flight disruptions across the country.
On Saturday and Sunday, after the 4 percent reduction took effect, over 4,500 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. So far Monday, over 2,300 such flights have been cancelled.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN’s Jake Tapper Sunday that if the government shutdown continues, air travel will be “reduced to a trickle” before Thanksgiving. Duffy also said that “15 to 20” controllers are retiring per day during the shutdown, a significant increase from the roughly four controllers that were retiring daily before the funding lapse.
The Senate passed a measure to reopen the government on Monday, after eight Senate Democratic Conference members joined 52 Republicans to advance the proposal Sunday. The measure, if it passes the Senate and the House, will then head to President Trump’s desk.
The president, in a Monday post on his Truth Social platform, said controllers who do not return to work immediately will be “docked,” and floated $10,000 bonuses for those who worked during the shutdown.
