US airlines cancel 1,330 flights due to air traffic controller shortages from the government shutdown, with delays in 12 major cities and more cuts expected
WASHINGTON: US airlines cancelled 1,330 flights on Saturday as government-mandated flight cuts entered their second day.
The industry is bracing for more cancellations as the federal shutdown continues to cause air traffic control staffing shortages.
The Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to cut 4% of daily flights starting Friday at 40 major airports due to safety concerns.
Air traffic controllers have not been paid for weeks, leading to increased absenteeism.
Flight reductions will rise to 6% on Tuesday before hitting 10% by November 14.
The FAA reported air traffic control staffing issues at 25 airports and centers on Saturday, delaying flights in at least 12 major US cities.
Affected cities included Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
The FAA imposed ground delay programs at several airports, with delays averaging 337 minutes for flights at Atlanta’s busy airport.
Some 5,450 flights were delayed on Saturday after 7,000 were delayed and 1,025 cancelled on Friday.
The cuts include about 700 flights from the four largest carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.
Those airlines cancelled approximately the same number of flights on Saturday.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said 20% to 40% of controllers have not been showing up for work over the past several days.
During a Senate debate, Senator Ted Cruz blamed the shutdown for air traffic control concerns.
Cruz said pilots have filed more than 500 voluntary safety reports about controller mistakes due to fatigue since the shutdown started.
During the record 39-day government shutdown, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay.
Many air traffic controllers were notified they would receive no compensation for a second consecutive pay period next week.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he could require 20% cuts in air traffic if more controllers stop showing up.
“We’re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace,” Duffy said.
The Trump administration has cited air traffic control problems as Republicans pressure Senate Democrats to back a government funding bill.
Democrats blame the shutdown on Republican refusal to negotiate over expiring health insurance subsidies. – Reuters
