An end to the record US government shutdown could be in sight after the US Senate approved a deal to end the closure. But for many travellers, the damage has already been done.
During the worst day of disruptions so far, there were over 10,000 flight delays on Sunday, according to FlightAware data. Estimates of the number of cancelled flights on Sunday range between 2,800 and 3,300, following over 1,500 cancellations on Saturday and around 1,000 flights on Friday. The flight tracking data showed that the worst-affected airports included New York, Chicago and Atlanta, where over 200 flights were cancelled on Sunday.
Speaking to CNN, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said thousands of flights will continue to be cancelled as air traffic controllers work unpaid, with the situation at airports likely to “get worse”.
“The two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel being reduced to a trickle,” he said.
Duffy added that there would be a “substantial” number of people who mightn’t be able to return home for Thanksgiving, which this year falls on 27 November.
In a grim forecast, the transportation boss said that even after the government shutdown ends, disruptions could continue due to the workforce shortfall, which is seeing around 15 to 20 air traffic controllers retire each day.
“This is going to live on in air travel well beyond the time frame that this government opens back up,” he remarked.
And flights will continue to be grounded as safety comes first.
“I have more complaints coming into the FAA from pilots who are saying that air traffic controllers are not as responsive, they seem stressed or they’re not using the appropriate language because they’re under pressure,” Duffy told CNN.
Analysing FAA data, airline advocacy group Airlines for America stated that staffing issues had disrupted more than 4 million passengers on A4A airlines between 1 October, when the shutdown commenced, and 7 November.
Even passengers who reach their destination, A4A said, face “long departure delays, extended tarmac times and highly unpredictable arrival times”.
According to the Associated Press, not all cancellations stemmed from the FAA mandate, but numbers could climb as the slowdown persists.
Airlines must issue full refunds when flights are cancelled, The Washington Post reported.
While the deal to end the shutdown still needs to clear several more hurdles, A4A stated that it is “grateful that the Senate is considering a bipartisan agreement to reopen the federal government and pay the essential air traffic controllers, TSA and CBP officers for the essential work they do every day”.
“At a time of record air travel… it is more important than ever to ensure that our nation’s airspace is safe, reliable and open,” it said in a statement.
Last Friday, the Trump Administration announced it would be cutting flights at 40 major US airports, with 10% of flights to be grounded.
