The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Wednesday it will cut air traffic by 10% in 40 “high-volume” markets, a move backed by the federal government.
The cuts will begin on Friday and are aimed at maintaining security during the current government shutdown.
This cut will affect thousands of flights across the country.
security concerns
The FAA is currently facing a staffing shortage. While some air traffic controllers are not working during the shutdown, others are working without pay. This has resulted in massive delays to flights across the United States.
FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said the shutdown is putting a strain on staff and “we can’t ignore it.”
Bedford and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said they would meet with airline leaders later Wednesday to figure out how to safely implement the cuts.
More than 30 lakh people have faced delays so far
An airline industry group has estimated that more than 3.2 million passengers have already been affected by flight delays or cancellations due to the increased absence of air traffic controllers since the shutdown began on October 1. The shutdown is now the longest in US history.
Airlines said the shutdown has not had any significant impact on their business so far, but warned that if it continues for a long time, there could be a decline in bookings.
For example, more than 2,100 flights were disrupted on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said 20% to 40% of air traffic controllers at the agency’s 30 largest airports were not working.
According to the FAA, about 13,000 controllers have been working without pay for weeks.
Edited by: Srinivas Majumdaru