Airports across America began slashing thousands of flights early Friday morning as the nation’s longest government shutdown triggered critical staffing shortages among air traffic controllers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued unprecedented orders to reduce flight operations, forcing airlines into emergency scheduling mode and leaving weekend travelers scrambling to salvage their plans.
More than 780 flights scheduled for Friday were already canceled nationwide by early morning, according to FlightAware, with industry experts warning that number would climb significantly higher as the day progressed.
Delta Air Lines announced it would eliminate approximately 170 flights on Friday alone.
American Airlines went further, planning to cut 220 flights daily through Monday as the crisis deepened.
The FAA said reductions would begin at four percent and escalate to ten percent by Nov. 14.
The restrictions apply between 6am and 10pm and affect all commercial airlines operating in United States airspace.
Agency officials said the cutbacks were necessary to relieve mounting pressure on air traffic controllers who have been working without paychecks for more than a month.
Many controllers are pulling six-day work weeks with mandatory overtime, and growing numbers have begun calling out sick as financial strain and exhaustion take their toll.
The 40 airports selected by the FAA for flight reductions span more than two dozen states.
Major hubs including Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Charlotte, North Carolina made the list, according to documents distributed to airlines.
Multiple airports will face restrictions in several metropolitan areas, including New York, Houston, Chicago and Washington.
The cuts could also slow package delivery services, as two airports on the list serve as major distribution centers: FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee and UPS in Louisville, Kentucky.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s going to be an unholy mess for the next few days if these cuts go through,” airline industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said, according to the Daily Mail.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced the ten percent slowdown Wednesday, with Bedford acknowledging the airline industry was entering unprecedented territory.
“We’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns,” Bedford said.
“I’m not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures.”
Bedford cited increased staffing pressures and voluntary safety reports from pilots indicating growing fatigue among air traffic controllers.
He said officials refused to wait until the situation reached a crisis point when early indicators showed action could prevent further deterioration.
“We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” Bedford said.
“The system is extremely safe today and will be extremely safe tomorrow. If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional measures.”
Duffy said the FAA wanted to take a proactive approach rather than reacting after a disaster.
He referenced questions that arose following the deadly midair collision in January between a commercial jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport about why the FAA failed to recognize risks and act sooner.
“We learned from that. And so now we look at data, and before it would become an issue, we try to assess the pressure and try to make moves before there could be adverse consequences,” Duffy said.
“And that’s what’s happening here today.”
Duffy warned Tuesday that if the shutdown continues another week, it could lead to “mass chaos” and potentially force closure of parts of national airspace.
“If you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays,” Duffy said at a press conference.
“You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it. We will restrict the airspace when we feel it’s unsafe.”
Republican leaders expressed optimism they could reach an agreement this weekend.
President Donald Trump has pressured the GOP to reopen the government.
Trump told Republican senators during a White House breakfast meeting Wednesday that “we must get the government back open soon and really immediately,” the Daily Mail reported.
The president has threatened a “nuclear option” to eliminate the filibuster and allow Republicans to reopen the government with a simple majority without Democrat votes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has publicly opposed that idea.
Thune said he believes he has a plan to secure Democrat support to end what is now the longest shutdown in United States history at over 37 days.
If the plan fails, Senate leadership plans to keep members of both parties in Washington through the weekend to finalize a deal.
Airlines said they would attempt to minimize customer impact.
Some carriers planned to focus on reducing routes to and from small and medium-size cities.
United, Southwest and American all pledged efforts to minimize disruption as they adjusted schedules to comply with the FAA order.
Airlines must refund customers whose flights are canceled but are not required to cover secondary costs such as food and hotel accommodations unless delays or cancellations result from factors within airline control, according to the Department of Transportation.
Trump acknowledged the government shutdown contributed to Tuesday night’s election losses for Republicans.
“I think if you read the pollsters, the shutdown was a big factor – negative for the Republicans,” the president said.
Shares of major airlines, including United Airlines and American Airlines, dropped approximately one percent in extended trading following the announcement.
An airline industry group estimated that over 3.2 million passengers have been affected by flight delays or cancellations due to rising air traffic controller absences since the shutdown began on Oct. 1. More than 2,100 flights were delayed on Wednesday alone, per the Daily Mail.
