Millions of passengers in the US could face an air nightmare starting this Friday if the government shutdown is prolonged, which would force flights to be reduced at 40 airports in the countryas confirmed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the move is an attempt to “relieve pressure” on air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay since the start of the shutdown and have not received a paycheck since mid-October, he said. The New York Times.
The measure, promoted by the Donald Trump Administration, would affect the main US airports, including the three in New Yorkas well as large terminals in cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Miami.
An FAA source cited by cnn explained that “the agency’s 30 main airports are on the preliminary list of those that will suffer operational cuts.”
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford specified that the reduction in flights will be concentrated in “high traffic volume markets” and asked airlines “to collaborate with us to reduce their schedules.”
Companies affected by the government shutdown
Among the affected companies, Delta Air Lines confirmed the cancellation of about 170 flights for Friday, while United Airlines will suspend approximately 200 operationsabout 4% of your daily schedule.
American Airlines will also reduce 4% of its flights between Friday and Monday, which is equivalent to 220 cancellations per day.
Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines announced the suspension of 100 flights and asked Congress to “immediately resolve their impasse.”
The Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, announced that the total volume of flights in the country could decrease by up to 10%, which would translate into thousands of daily cancellations.
“The impact would be comparable to a day of extreme weather, but extended to multiple cities,” warned an airline sector official.
Flight cancellation
Faced with uncertainty, Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines, recommended passengers “book an alternative ticket with another airline” to avoid being stranded.
“If your flight is canceled, the chances of being stranded are high,” he wrote in a message on social media.
He Government shutdown, effective October 1, keeps thousands of federal employees without payincluding air traffic controllers and airport security agents (TSA), considered essential, but not paid.
“Controllers are quitting every day as the shutdown continues,” warned Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Given the lack of personnel, the authorities assure that the cuts seek to avoid risks, he said. cnn.
“This is safety management, the very foundation of our aviation system, and it is the right thing to do,” said Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), on the X network.
However, the situation remains worrying. “Every day this continues, tomorrow is now less certain than today,” Daniels reiterated, reflecting the growing fear that a budget crisis will morph into an airline safety crisis.
