U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Wednesday that flights at 40 major U.S. airports would be reduced by 10%, citing air traffic control safety concerns as the government shutdown entered its 36th day.
Duffy said the cuts could be reversed if Democrats agreed to reopen the government.
The shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay.
The Trump administration has sought to ramp up pressure on Democrats to end the shutdown and has increasingly raised the specter of dramatic aviation disruptions to force them to vote to reopen the government. Democrats contend Republicans are to blame for refusing to negotiate over key health care subsidies.
Shutdown Amplifies Staffing Shortages
Tens of thousands of flights have been delayed since the shutdown began because of widespread air traffic control shortages. Airlines say at least 3.2 million travelers have already been impacted by air traffic control shortages.
In a call with major U.S. carriers, the FAA said capacity reductions at the airports would start at 4%, rising to 5% Saturday and 6% Sunday, before hitting 10% next week, industry sources told Reuters. The FAA also plans to exempt international flights from the cuts.
The move is aimed at taking pressure off air traffic controllers. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.
Airlines Brace For Drop In Bookings
The closure, which began October 1, left many low-income Americans without food assistance, closed many government services and led to the furlough of about 750,000 federal employees.
Duffy had warned on Tuesday that if the federal government shutdown continued another week, it could lead to “mass chaos” and force him to close some of the national airspace to air traffic.
Airlines have repeatedly urged an end to the shutdown, citing aviation safety risks.
(With inputs from Reuters)
