US Airlines Cancel 1,200 Flights as Government Shutdown Nears End

Post by : Sameer Saifi

The United States faced another day of travel trouble on Tuesday as airlines canceled about 1,200 flights and delayed nearly 1,700 more. The problem came from a shortage of air traffic controllers, caused by the longest government shutdown in US history, which has now lasted 42 days.

On Monday, the situation was worse — more than 2,400 flights were canceled and 9,600 were delayed. By Tuesday, the number of delayed flights dropped slightly, showing a small sign of improvement. Officials said the staffing of air traffic controllers had started to recover.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had earlier asked airlines to cut 4% of their daily flights at major airports starting from November 7 because of a lack of staff. By Tuesday, the cut increased to 6%, and it was planned to reach 10% by Friday if the shutdown did not end soon.

There was some hope on Tuesday night. The Senate approved a bill to end the shutdown and fund the government until January 30. The House of Representatives is expected to vote on it Wednesday. If approved, the government could reopen and help restore normal flight operations.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said during a press meeting at Chicago O’Hare Airport that only four staffing problems were reported on Tuesday, compared to 81 on Saturday. He promised that as soon as the situation improves, the FAA will start reducing flight cuts.

“When safety data improves, we’ll go from six percent to four, then two, and soon get back to normal,” Duffy said.

President Donald Trump warned on Monday that he might cut the pay of air traffic controllers who refuse to return to work. He also said he would accept resignations from workers who fail to show up regularly.

This statement caused mixed reactions. Some workers said they were struggling to work without pay, while others expressed frustration over being blamed for the flight chaos.

Since the shutdown began on October 1, travelers across the country have faced huge problems. Over the weekend alone, 1.2 million passengers had their flights delayed or canceled due to staff shortages. Many airports saw long lines and angry passengers waiting for hours.

The FAA currently has about 3,500 fewer controllers than needed. Even before the shutdown, many were working six days a week and putting in extra hours to manage air traffic safely.

The airline industry has warned that the continued shutdown is hurting business and risking safety. Delays and cancellations not only affect passengers but also lead to higher costs for airlines. Some experts said if the shutdown continues, major carriers might stop flying temporarily because of low staff numbers.

Transportation Secretary Duffy also warned that if Congress fails to approve the funding bill, the situation could become worse by the weekend. “That’s how serious this is,” he said, pointing out that safety could not be guaranteed without enough staff.

As lawmakers in Washington move closer to ending the crisis, airlines are preparing to return to full schedules. United Airlines said it had reduced about 5% of its flights for Thursday, a smaller number than the FAA originally asked for.

Officials believe that once the shutdown ends, flight operations could return to normal within a few days. However, rebuilding the full workforce of trained controllers will take longer.

For now, passengers are being advised to check flight schedules carefully and prepare for possible changes until the government fully reopens.

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