U.S. airlines had to cancel over 2,700 flights on Sunday amid concerns raised by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about potential severe disruptions in air traffic nationwide if the ongoing federal government shutdown extends into the upcoming Thanksgiving travel season. The current slowdown, affecting 40 major airports, has entered its third day and is causing increasingly widespread disturbances. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued directives last week to reduce flights at the busiest airports due to some unpaid air traffic controllers not reporting for duty.
On Sunday alone, there were more than 10,000 reported flight delays, marking the highest number of disruptions in a single day since the government shutdown began. The flight cancellations on Friday exceeded 1,000, with over 1,500 cancellations on Saturday. The FAA initiated reductions starting at four percent on Friday, escalating to 10 percent by November 14, impacting all commercial airlines within the specified time frame from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta experienced the most cancellations on Sunday, surpassing 570, followed by Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey with over 265 cancellations. Weather conditions in Georgia, particularly freezing conditions, could have also contributed to the disruptions. Travelers like Kyra March shared their experiences of flight delays and cancellations, highlighting the challenges faced due to the ongoing situation.
Furthermore, staffing shortages at airports such as Newark and LaGuardia in New York led to average departure delays of approximately 75 minutes. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Michigan witnessed minimal wait times at security checkpoints on Sunday morning amidst a significant number of flight delays and cancellations.
Secretary Duffy cautioned that if the shutdown persists, U.S. air traffic could significantly decline, possibly necessitating additional flight cuts of up to 20 percent. He emphasized the impact of controllers not receiving pay, leading to a decrease in their attendance. Duffy projected potential massive disruptions during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday travel period.
The government has been grappling with a shortage of air traffic controllers for years, with retirements accelerating due to the shutdown exacerbating the issue. Duffy mentioned an offer from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide military air traffic controllers, although their eligibility to work on civilian systems remains uncertain. Responding to accusations of political motives behind the flight cancellations, Duffy defended the actions taken to ensure public safety amidst an overstressed system.
Airlines for America reported that air traffic control staffing-related delays surpassed 3,000 hours on Saturday, with staffing issues contributing to 71 percent of the delay time during the shutdown period. Controller shortages have disrupted over four million passengers on U.S. carriers from October 1 to November 7, according to data from Airlines for America.
