More than 1,400 flights to, from, or within the US were canceled on Saturday after airlines were instructed this week to reduce traffic during the federal government shutdown.
Nearly 6,000 flights were also delayed, down from over 7,000 delays on Friday, according to flight tracker FlightAware.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced earlier in the week that it would reduce air travel capacity by up to 10% at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, as air traffic controllers, who are working without pay during the shutdown, report fatigue.
Republicans and Democrats remain divided over how to end the impasse in Congress as the shutdown, which began on 1 October, continues.
Saturday marked the 39th day of the most extended shutdown in history, as Republicans and Democrats still have not agreed on a funding resolution to reopen the government.
Senators are in Washington over the weekend for bipartisan negotiations aimed at ending the shutdown, which is beginning to be felt by more and more Americans amid cuts to food aid payments and flight disruptions.
In a statement on Saturday, American Airlines urged “leaders in Washington, D.C., to reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown”.
New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport was experiencing some of the longest wait times. As of Saturday afternoon, arrivals to the airport were delayed by an average of more than four hours, while departures from the airport were delayed by an average of 1.5 hours, according to the FAA.
The airports with the most cancelled flights on Saturday, both to and from the location, were Charlotte/Douglas International, Newark Liberty International, and Chicago O’Hare International, according to FlightAware.
Departures to John F Kennedy International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, and LaGuardia were delayed by nearly three hours, over 2.5 hours, and about an hour, respectively, the FAA reported as of Saturday afternoon.
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching on 27 November, it’s one of the busiest travel seasons of the year in the US.
It’s not just commercial flights that have been affected. Restrictions on private jets are also in place, Secretary Duffy said in a Saturday post on X.
“We’ve reduced their volume at high traffic airports — instead having private jets utilize smaller airports or airfields so busy controllers can focus on commercial aviation,” Duffy wrote. “That’s only fair.”
And things will likely worsen in the coming days as the FAA increases the percentage of canceled flights.
On Thursday, the agency announced that the flight reductions would be gradual, starting at 4% of flights on Friday, before rising to 6% by November 11, 8% by November 13, and reaching the complete 10% by November 14.
The FAA stated that the cuts were necessary to maintain safety, as air traffic controllers had been overworked during the shutdown.
As essential workers, the controllers are required to continue working without pay, and as a result, many have called out sick or taken on second jobs to afford necessities, according to unions.
The controllers are just some of the 1.4 million federal workers who have either been working without pay or been put on forced leave during the shutdown.
Another factor impacting air travel is that most of the Transportation Security Agency (TSA )’s 64,000 agents are also not being paid while the shutdown is in place.
During the 2018 government shutdown under US President Donald Trump, it was found that up to 10% of TSA staff chose to stay at home rather than work for free.
