As the government shutdown drags on, the nation’s air-travel system faces mounting strain, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warning Friday that flight cancellations could soar if Congress fails to reach an agreement soon.
“If this shutdown doesn’t end relatively soon, the consequence is that more controllers don’t come to work,” Duffy told Fox News. “I don’t want to see that.”
Duffy said that while most air-traffic controllers can weather a single missed paycheck, “virtually none of them can handle missing two.” That second missed paycheck is expected Tuesday — a threshold that could test the resilience of the nation’s aviation network and the patience of travelers.
According to Cirium, an aviation-data firm, 780 flights had already been canceled by Friday afternoon, out of roughly 25,000 scheduled departures — a reduction of about 3 percent.
The Federal Aviation Administration has announced gradual traffic cuts beginning at 4 percent Friday, rising to 6 percent by Nov. 11, 8 percent by Nov. 13, and 10 percent by Nov. 14 if the shutdown continues.
While airlines have begun canceling flights in response to the FAA’s orders, disruptions have so far been limited. United, Delta, and American Airlines each reported cancellations totaling roughly 3.5 to 4 percent of their scheduled flights Friday. Smaller carriers are still determining how many routes they will suspend over the weekend.
Even with the reductions, most flights continued to operate on time — a sign that, for now, the system remains stable despite uncertainty in Washington. Cirium reported that 93 percent of flights departed as scheduled by midday Friday.
At airports nationwide, travelers voiced a mix of apprehension and resignation. At San Francisco International Airport, passengers gathered outside the Delta Lounge, where staff offered snacks and water to waiting fliers. “I don’t want to jinx it,” said Seckeita Lewis, who was flying to Dallas after attending a work event. She said she had been bracing for chaos but found the scene “less hectic than expected.”
Nicola Rice, 22, who flew from Los Angeles to San Francisco without delay, said some friends traveling from other cities were less fortunate. “I was trying to figure out which would be more likely to be canceled,” he said.
At New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, security lines stretched up to an hour for regular passengers, though TSA PreCheck travelers moved quickly. Charisse White of Monroe, N.J., traveling to New Orleans, said her outbound flight was smooth but worried about her return. “I want to make sure I am where I need to be and not stuck in an airport,” she said.
However if the shutdown persists, Duffy warned, the nation could soon see far more than a few canceled flights.
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