US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday he would order a 10 percent cut in flights at 40 major US airports starting Friday unless a deal is reached to end the federal government shutdown.
The shutdown, now in its 36th day and the longest in US history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay. reuters Informed.
This led to staff shortages, massive flight delays and long lines at airport security checks.
Explaining why he made this decision, Duffy told reporters, “We took a deep look at what our job was.”
Reuters previously reported the plan.
Which US airports will be affected?
Although the government did not name the 40 airports affected, the cuts were expected to affect the 30 busiest airports, including New York City, Washington, DC, Chicago, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Dallas.
That would reduce 1,800 flights and more than 268,000 airline seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The move is aimed at reducing pressure on air traffic controllers.
The US Federal Aviation Administration also warned that it may impose more flight restrictions after Friday if more air traffic problems arise.
Airlines for America, a trade group representing major US carriers such as Delta, United, American and Southwest, said its members are trying to figure out next steps.
“We are working with the federal government to understand all the details of the new curtailment mandate and will strive to minimize the impact on travelers and shippers,” it said.
The FAA was scheduled to meet with airlines Wednesday evening to outline how the cuts will be implemented, according to industry sources.
The federal government is mostly shut down as Republicans and Democrats are locked in a standoff in Congress over a funding bill. Democrats have insisted they would not approve a plan that does not expand health insurance subsidies while Republicans have rejected it.
President Donald Trump and Republicans are trying to increase pressure on Democrats by playing up the pain felt by average Americans from the government shutdown.
The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, left many low-income Americans without food assistance, shuttered many government services and furloughed about 750,000 federal workers.
Duffy warned Tuesday that if the federal government shutdown continued another week, it could cause “massive chaos” and force him to close portions of the national airspace to air traffic.
Airlines have repeatedly urged an end to the shutdown, citing aviation safety risks.
Shares of major airlines including United and American were down about 1% in extended trading.
An airline industry group estimates that more than 3.2 million passengers have been affected by flight delays or cancellations due to the increased absence of air traffic controllers during the shutdown. Airlines have been raising concerns with MPs about the impact on operations.
Airlines said the shutdown has not had any significant impact on their business, but warned that if it is prolonged, there could be a decline in bookings. More than 2,100 flights were delayed on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said 20% to 40% of controllers at the agency’s 30 largest airports were failing to show up to work. Duffy said officials will limit space launches to certain times of the day. (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Rajesh Kumar Singh in Chicago; Editing by Chris Sanders and Cynthia Osterman)
