The United States Government is preparing to cut flights at 40 major US airports by 10% starting Friday (US EST) as air traffic control safety concerns persist due to a government shutdown that has reached a record sixth week.
The government order would force airlines to cancel thousands of flights, some analysts say, forcing hundreds of thousands of passengers to change their travel plans at short notice.
According to The New York Times, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the move would try to “alleviate pressure” on air traffic controllers, who have worked without pay since mid-October.
With the busiest travel period of the year nearing, Mr Duffy said the list of impacted routes would be revealed on Thursday.
“We are going to proactively make decisions to keep the airspace safe,” he said at a media briefing.
At the same press conference, the Times reports, FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said more restrictions could be ordered if staffing issues worsened.
“We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators tell us we can take action today,” Mr Bedford remarked, saying the measure was unprecedented in his 35 years as an aviation sector professional.
“We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns,” he said.
“These are unusual times, and we look forward to a time when we can get back to business as usual.”
According to Reuters, as carriers hurry to plan the significant flight reductions, their call centres have been inundated with worried travellers.
This follows weeks of major disruptions, with carriers estimating that over 3.2 million flyers have faced delays amid air traffic control staff shortages that have grounded or slowed tens of thousands of flights since the shutdown began.
On X, the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reports daily on its performance across the country’s airports. In the last several weeks, its posts show that average wait times have varied between three to five minutes in standard lanes and less than two minutes in TSA PreCheck lanes.
LAX, JFK and more
While the cuts are predicted to hit the country’s 30 busiest airports, including those serving Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago, the FAA plans to exempt international flights from the reductions, Reuters reported.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby confirmed that long-haul international and hub-to-hub operations would not be impacted. However, “any customer travelling during this period is eligible for a refund if they do not wish to fly – even if their flight isn’t impacted”.
American Airlines, likewise, is anticipating minimal disruption, while the largest US domestic carrier, Southwest, is still evaluating the impact the cuts will have on its network and customers.
Industry response
Following the announcement to cut flights, the US Travel Association urged an end to the government shutdown.
“The decision to reduce scheduled flight capacity, while necessary to keep our skies safe, will inevitably affect the travel experience, leading to fewer flights, longer delays and more disruptions for travellers,” US Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement.
“The shutdown is putting unnecessary strain on the system, forcing difficult operational decisions that disrupt travel and damage confidence in the US air travel experience.”
Meanwhile, the Australian Government’s travel advice for the US remains at the lowest level (Exercise normal safety precautions), but it warns that the shutdown has caused “flight delays, longer queue times at a number of airports and increased processing times to issue US visas”.
“Check with your nearest US Embassy/Consulate or your travel provider to see if your travel plans have been affected,” it recommends on its Smartraveller website.
