US travel woes mount as govt shutdown prompts flight cuts

WASHINGTON – Travellers faced mounting uncertainty over air travel in the US after a directive to decrease flights at dozens of major airports went into effect on Nov 7.

The reduction has been touted as a solution to overcome air traffic safety concerns related to staff shortages linked to the record-length government shutdown that has dragged on for six weeks.

The Trump administration ordered airlines to decrease flights at 40 airports, including several major hubs, beginning on Nov 7, with a 4 per cent reduction that is set to gradually increase to 10 per cent next week.

Flight reductions are set to hit some of the country’s busiest airports, including in Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.

“This isn’t about politics. It is about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, pushing back against criticism that the order aims to increase pressure on Democrats to end the shutdown.

The government shutdown, which began on Oct 1 and is now the longest in history, has left tens of thousands of air traffic controllers, airport security staff and others without pay.

More than 800 flights scheduled for Nov 7 were cancelled, according to tracking website FlightAware, while major carrier American Airlines said in a statement that its scheduled reduction amounted to 220 flight cancellations each day.

Delta Air Lines was axing about 170 flights scheduled for Nov 7, the carrier said. Broadcaster CNN reported that Southwest Airlines nixed about 100 flights set for that day.

On Nov 6, more than 6,400 US flights were delayed, with some 200 cancellations, FlightAware data showed, as passengers faced long lines at security checkpoints.

Major airports were impacted, with travellers at Boston and Newark airports facing delays of more than two hours, and those at Chicago’s O’Hare and Washington’s Reagan National more than an hour.

The authorities said they wanted to act before an accident occurred.

“We are not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself, when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” said Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Bryan Bedford.

Peak travel season

The reduction measures come as the US enters its busiest travel time of the year, with the Thanksgiving holiday just weeks away.

As millions of Americans face likely travel chaos amid a shortage of air traffic control personnel, US President Donald Trump’s administration sought to reassure people that flying remained safe.

“It is safe to fly today, tomorrow and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Mr Duffy said on Nov 6 on social media platform X.

Implementing the order on short notice will be a challenge for airlines, which operate complex networks that rely on many moving parts and personnel.

United Airlines and Delta, two of the country’s largest carriers, have said they are complying with the order but that it will not affect their international routes.

United added that “hub-to-hub” flying would also not be affected, indicating cancellations might hit more local routes.

Federal agencies across the US have been grinding to a halt since Congress failed to approve funding past Sept 30, with some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to national park rangers, still on enforced leave or working without pay.

Many in high-stress aviation-related jobs are now calling in sick and potentially working second jobs to pay their bills, Mr Duffy said on Nov 5.

The FAA’s Mr Bedford said the situation was unprecedented.

“I am not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we have had a situation where we are taking these kinds of measures,” he said on Nov 5. “Then again, we are in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.” AFP