US Government Orders 10% Flight Reduction at 40 Major Airports During Record-Breaking Shutdown

The federal government shutdown has reached its 36th day, marking the longest in US history.

On Wednesday, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced plans to reduce flights by 10% at 40 major US airports beginning Friday unless an agreement is reached to end the government shutdown.

Currently, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents are working without pay due to the shutdown. This situation has exacerbated staff shortages, resulting in widespread flight delays and longer security screening lines.

"We had a gut check of what is our job," Duffy explained to reporters regarding his decision.

While specific airports weren't named, the cuts are expected to affect the nation's 30 busiest airports, including those serving New York City, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Dallas. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, these reductions could impact approximately 1,800 flights and over 268,000 airline seats.

The primary goal of these cuts is to alleviate pressure on overworked air traffic controllers.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also cautioned that additional flight restrictions might be implemented after Friday if air traffic issues continue to worsen.

Airlines for America, representing major carriers like Delta, United, American, and Southwest, stated that its members are attempting to understand the implications of the new policy.

"We are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts to passengers and shippers," the trade group announced.

Sources within the industry revealed that the FAA scheduled a call with airlines Wednesday evening to explain the implementation process for these cuts.

The government shutdown stems from a congressional deadlock between Republicans and Democrats over funding legislation. Democrats have insisted on extending health insurance subsidies, while Republicans have rejected such proposals.

President Trump and Republican lawmakers are attempting to increase pressure on Democrats by highlighting the growing impact of the shutdown on average Americans.

Since October 1, the shutdown has left many low-income citizens without food assistance, closed numerous government services, and resulted in approximately 750,000 federal employees being furloughed.

On Tuesday, Secretary Duffy warned that continued shutdown for another week could lead to "mass chaos" and potentially force closure of portions of national airspace.

Airlines have repeatedly called for an end to the shutdown, citing significant aviation safety concerns.

Shares of major airlines including United and American declined approximately 1% in extended trading following the announcement.

An airline industry group estimated that over 3.2 million passengers have been affected by flight delays or cancellations resulting from increased air traffic controller absences during the shutdown. Airlines have been expressing their operational concerns to lawmakers.

While airlines report that the shutdown hasn't significantly impacted their business yet, they warn that bookings could decline if the situation persists. More than 2,100 flights experienced delays on Wednesday alone.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford revealed on Tuesday that between 20% and 40% of controllers at the agency's 30 largest airports were failing to report for work.

Duffy added that authorities would also restrict space launches to certain times of day as part of the measures.