DST News: Travelers across the United States faced another day of major disruptions on Saturday, as airlines continued reducing flights in response to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
More than 1,400 flights to, from, or within the U.S. were cancelled, while nearly 6,000 others were delayed, according to data from FlightAware. This follows a difficult Friday, when delays topped 7,000.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier this week ordered airlines to scale back air traffic by up to 10% at 40 of the country’s busiest airports. The move comes as air traffic controllers, who are currently working without pay, report growing exhaustion and staffing shortages.
The shutdown, now in its 39th day, has become the longest in U.S. history, with Republican and Democratic lawmakers still deadlocked over a budget deal to reopen federal agencies. Negotiations continued in Washington over the weekend, as the impact widens to everyday Americans, including reduced food assistance and travel delays.
Some of the worst delays were reported at Newark Liberty International Airport, where Saturday arrivals were running more than four hours behind schedule, and departures were delayed by around 90 minutes, FAA data showed.
The highest number of cancellations occurred at:
- Charlotte Douglas International Airport
- Newark Liberty International Airport
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Meanwhile, flights bound for New York’s JFK, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, and LaGuardia were experiencing average delays ranging from one to nearly three hours.
With Thanksgiving travel season approaching, officials and industry groups are warning travelers to expect further disruptions.
The FAA says the cuts extend beyond commercial airlines. Private jets are also being redirected to smaller regional airfields to free up workload for controllers handling major passenger hubs.
“It’s about keeping operations safe,” FAA spokesperson Chris Duffy said in a post on X, adding that the goal is to reduce stress on overburdened controllers.
The agency plans to phase in deeper flight reductions, starting at:
- 4% cancellation levels on Friday,
- increasing to 6% by November 11,
- 8% by November 13, and
- the full 10% by November 14.
Air traffic controllers and 64,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners are among the 1.4 million federal employees either working without pay or placed on leave. Labor groups say many controllers are now picking up second jobs or calling in sick to manage basic expenses.
During the 2018 shutdown, up to 10% of TSA staff did not report to work due to unpaid conditions. Officials fear a similar trend may re-emerge if negotiations stall any longer.
In a statement, American Airlines called on lawmakers to “reach an immediate resolution and end the shutdown,” warning that ongoing disruption will continue to ripple through the travel network.
Source: BBC
