Post by : Rameen Ariff

Travel disruptions have swept across the United States as airlines struggle to manage operations amid an escalating government shutdown that has crippled the nation’s air traffic system. Over 750 flights set for Friday have been cancelled in advance, causing thousands of travelers to face delays and growing discontent at airports nationwide.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated a flight reduction of up to 10 percent in 40 major air traffic regions, citing safety as the main concern. This drastic step coincides with severe staffing shortages, as thousands of air traffic controllers, TSA agents, and airport personnel are either unpaid or on involuntary leave.

As reported by the flight tracking service FlightAware, airlines like American, Delta, Southwest, and United are among those most severely affected. American Airlines indicated it has cancelled 220 flights for the day, while Delta has seen about 170 cancellations. Southwest Airlines has also reduced approximately 100 flights in compliance with the FAA's directive.

By Thursday night, over 6,400 flights across the US experienced delays, with 200 already cancelled. Key airports, including Boston Logan, Newark Liberty, Chicago O’Hare, and Washington Reagan National, reported long delays, where security checks reached wait times of more than two hours.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford justified the preventative measure, asserting, “We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself. Early indicators show we must act now to prevent conditions from worsening.”

The shutdown is particularly untimely, coinciding with the onset of Thanksgiving travel season, typically one of the busiest times for domestic airlines. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tried to alleviate concerns by stating, “It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking.”

Flight reductions will start at 4 percent on Friday, with plans to gradually increase to 10 percent, likely affecting scores of flights each day. Major airports in Atlanta, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Newark are expected to be hit hardest by cancellations.

The shutdown, resulting from Congress’s failure to pass a funding bill by September 30, has left 1.4 million federal employees either furloughed or working without pay. Many critical aviation workers are reportedly calling in sick or seeking additional jobs to make ends meet.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” Bedford remarked. “In my 35 years in aviation, I’ve never seen us take measures of this magnitude — but these are unprecedented times for the government as well.”

With no resolution on the horizon, US air travel is mired in uncertainty, and passengers are advised to frequently check flight statuses and rebook solely through official airline channels to avoid scams amidst the chaos.

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