Flight schedules across the United States were thrown off course this weekend, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered airlines to scale back operations due to the ongoing government shutdown, a move that has already led to more than 2,500 cancellations by Saturday evening.
The FAA’s directive, issued because staffing levels have dropped at radar centres and control towers, is being applied to all commercial carriers. What began as a 4% reduction at 40 key airports is set to tighten again on Tuesday and reach 10% by Friday. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy has warned that further cuts may follow if conditions deteriorate.
At airports from Atlanta to Newark, passengers spent Saturday navigating changing departure boards and queues. Miami-bound traveller Emmy Holguin, 36, was hoping to make it to the Dominican Republic to see her family.
“We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” she told AP.
“I'm hoping that the government can take care of this.”
Surge in cancellations
Flight tracking service FlightAware recorded just over 1,000 cancellations on Friday. By Saturday, usually one of the quietest flying days, the figure had climbed to more than 1,500, with airlines scrapping another thousand-plus flights planned for Sunday.
The airport disruptions are not universal, but the tensions are building. Staffing shortages, which existed before the shutdown, have worsened as air traffic controllers have now gone nearly a month without pay. Many are working six-day overtime weeks for no salary, while others are calling in sick or seeking temporary employment to pay their bills, according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The union delivered 1,600 handwritten letters to Congress on Saturday, urging lawmakers to end the shutdown.
Passengers face costs, confusion and tough decisions
Most travellers are still managing to get rebooked, and international long-haul flights remain mostly unaffected. However, with no clarity on which flights might be dropped next, anxiety is spreading.
“Travel is stressful enough. Then you put these disruptions in place, and it really makes everything more challenging,” said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami after a cruise and trying to return to Puerto Rico.
Some travellers are choosing not to take the risk at all. Diana Alvear, from Bridgewater, New Jersey, cancelled her family’s upcoming trip to California over fears of getting stranded and concerns about safety when controllers are overworked.
United Airlines issued flight credit, but she and her family lost almost $700 on a prepaid Airbnb booking.
“This has been costly to us, and it’s a huge disappointment for us and our family,” she said. “It’s really weighing on our hearts that we had to do this.”
Rental car companies reported a surge in one-way bookings on Friday as travellers opted to take to the road instead of waiting for new flights.
Broader economic risks emerge
The concerns now stretch far beyond airlines and passengers. Almost half of America’s air freight moves inside passenger aircraft, which means reductions in flight volumes can quickly affect retailers and supply chains.
Shipping costs could rise and eventually be passed along to consumers, said Patrick Penfield, professor of supply chain practice at Syracuse University.
Losses could ripple into hotels, tourism-dependent cities and businesses that rely on corporate travel, according to Greg Raiff, CEO of Elevate Aviation Group.
“This shutdown is going to impact everything from cargo aircraft to people getting to business meetings to tourists being able to travel,” Raiff said. “It’s going to hit the hotel taxes and city taxes. There’s a cascading effect that results from this thing.”
With the shutdown showing no signs of ending and Thanksgiving travel season approaching: airlines, industry analysts and millions of passengers now face a growing question: how much worse will the disruption get?
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