Thousands of travelers in the US were left stranded as airlines canceled 1,330 flights on Saturday, marking the second day of government-mandated flight reductions due to safety concerns.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directed airlines to cut 4% of daily flights starting Friday at 40 major airports because of air traffic control staffing shortages, which have worsened amid the ongoing federal shutdown. Flight reductions are expected to rise to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by November 14.
The FAA reported issues at 25 airports, causing delays in at least 12 major US cities, including Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. Ground delay programs were implemented, with Atlanta flights averaging 337-minute delays. Overall, 5,450 flights were delayed on Saturday, following 7,000 delays and 1,025 cancellations on Friday.
Major carriers including American Airlines, Delta, Southwest, and United accounted for about half of the canceled flights. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford revealed that 20% to 40% of controllers have not reported to work due to missed paychecks.
Senator Ted Cruz highlighted the risks, noting pilots submitted over 500 voluntary safety reports citing fatigued controllers since the shutdown began. With 13,000 controllers and 50,000 TSA screeners working without pay, absenteeism has surged, prompting warnings from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that flight reductions could reach 20% if conditions worsen.
The shutdown, now in its 39th day, continues as Republicans push for a “clean” funding bill, while Democrats cite disagreements over expiring health insurance subsidies.
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