Airline passengers are grappling with an increase in flight delays and cancellations after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced new flight reductions to boost safety across airports that are severely understaffed amid the government shutdown.
All commercial airlines have been impacted by the FAA’s directive requiring the companies to scale back flights by 4 percent — with an eventual increase to a 10 percent reduction later this month.
The goal is to prevent additional turmoil for air traffic controllers who have been working without pay for more than a month while working six-days a week with mandatory overtime, as reported by The Associated Press.
“You can’t expect people to go in to work when they’re not getting a paycheck,” Kelly Matthews of Flat Rock, Mich., a frequent business traveler who has canceled most of her upcoming trips, told the wire.
“I mean it’s not a matter of them not wanting to do the job — but you can’t afford to pay for gas, your day care and everything else,” Matthews added.
The FAA unveiled a list of 40 major airports that will be most affected by the reductions, including New York’s LaGuardia Airport, Orlando International Airport in Florida, Chicago Midway International Airport, Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport, Los Angeles International in California and the airports servicing the Washington, D.C. region.
As of Friday, air travelers have experienced 751 delays for those flying into or out of the U.S. and 822 cancellations, according to data from FlightAware. On Thursday, those flying into or out of the U.S. experienced 7,077 delays and 662 cancellations, despite airlines’ goals not to disrupt international flight plans.
“Disrupting customers’ plans is the last thing we want to do, and we have issued a travel waiver. To provide additional flexibility during the impacted travel period, customers whose flights are canceled for any reason or who choose not to travel will be able to change their flight or request a refund without any penalty,” American Airlines said in a statement on the matter.
“We’re deeply grateful to federal aviation workers who continue working without pay to keep our skies safe,” the airline added. “This is unacceptable. We, once again, urge leaders in Washington to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown.”
Other airlines and organizations have called on Senate Republicans and Democrats to find common ground and pass legislation to reopen the government as federal workers go without pay.
“We join the airlines in urging Congress to swiftly pass a clean continuing resolution and restore certainty for travelers,” wrote Hertz CEO Gil West, according to the AP. “Every day of delay creates unnecessary disruption.”
The car rental company saw a 20 percent jump in one-way vehicle reservations, per the wire. Air traffic controllers have said conditions are getting out of hand.
“I think we’re reaching a tipping point,” one controller who works high-altitude traffic in the Midwest told NPR. “This is kind of about the point in the last shutdown where people just started getting fed up with it.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA could look to restrict airspace next week amid the morale issues and staffing shortages at airports that he said could risk safety. Duffy also warned that Thanksgiving week could be “rough” for travelers if the shutdown persists.
