Copyright CBS News
Air travel disruptions are continuing on Wednesday, and even though lawmakers are in Washington to vote on a deal that may end the government shutdown, officials warned that delays and cancellations may persist. Nearly 700 flights were set to be canceled on Wednesday, according to data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium. Flight cuts are set to ramp up again on Thursday, meaning 8% of scheduled flights at the nation's 40 busiest airports will be canceled. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy warned that the impacts might become more serious if the deal to reopen the government does not pass. "If this doesn't open, you might have airlines that say 'We're going to ground our planes. We're not going to fly anymore,'" Duffy warned on Tuesday night. "That's how serious this is." Tuesday had fewer flight delays and cancellations than previous days. Air traffic control towers reported minimal staffing shortages. There were only four staffing triggers, or times when the air traffic controller levels fell below planned minimums, compared to the 81 on Saturday. Even once the government reopens, reversing the flight cuts will not be immediate, Duffy said on Tuesday. The process may happen gradually, as the cuts themselves did, he said. Duffy said that he and FAA safety officials would look at relevant data, including pilot complaints, incidents where planes fly too close together, and runway incursions before reversing any of the cuts. "We are going to look at the data and make the best decisions possible to keep the traveling public safe," Duffy said during a press briefing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. The uncertainty is leaving flyers anxious. "We're just hoping and praying for the best," said Marlyn Mayo, who was flying from Washington, D.C. to Dallas-Fort Worth in Texas.
