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More than 800 flights in the United States were cancelled in the United States on Friday, according to data from tracking website FlightAware, as a 4% reduction in domestic flights came into effect as the record government shutdown continues. Major airlines in the US began cancelling hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a 4% reduction in flights at 40 airports across the US, as the government shutdown led to a crippling shortage of air traffic controllers (ATCs). US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had earlier warned that air travel capacity can be reduced by up to 10% at 40 major airports across the country in the coming days as around 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, are working without pay or are on forced leave. US Flight Disruptions: Top Points Several US airlines began cancelling hundreds of flights due to the FAA order to reduce traffic at the country’s busiest airports, starting from Friday. The number was four times higher than the number of flights cancelled on Thursday, which was 201. The 40 airports selected by the FAA for the flight cut span over a dozen states and include hubs like Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and North Carolina. Airports in metropolitan areas like New York, Chicago and Washington are also impacted. The decision to reduce service at “high-volume” markets was aimed at maintaining travel safety, as several employees are falling ill with stress or being forced to take second jobs during the shutdown. The FAA is concerned with the system’s ability to maintain the current volume of operations. FAA chief Bryan Bedford said the flight reductions will be gradual, starting at 4% of domestic flights on Friday, then rising to 5% on Saturday and 6% on Sunday, before hitting the full 10% next week if the shutdown continues. Several passengers expressed frustration with the disruptions, as those with plans over the weekend waited nervously to see if their flights would take off as per schedule. Some travellers even began changing or cancelling their plans pre-emptively. The FAA has clarified that this reduction does not apply to international flights, but it will have a noticeable impact on the US air transportation system. Airlines said they would try to minimise the impact on customers, such as refunds, but won’t cover secondary costs like food and accommodation. Despite the shutdown affecting air travel, Senate Democrats signalled that they are prepared to block Republican plans to force a vote to re-open the government, maintaining the gridlock over healthcare insurance premiums. This means that another Senate session is heading to a dead end. Duffy blamed the Democrats for the ongoing crisis, calling on them to end the government shutdown. “If Democrats are going to go home this weekend, and they’ve kept the government shut down, that’s shameful,” he told reporters Meanwhile, the Trump administration, which is ramping up pressure on Democrats to end the shutdown, filed an emergency request in a court to halt a federal judge’s order requiring the government to fully cover food stamp benefits for millions of Americans, CNN reported. Since the shutdown came into force on October 1, the Trump administration has slashed jobs in education, health and other areas that were supported by Democrats. The White House has announced one reduction in force affecting 4,100 workers, with the biggest cuts happening at the departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services, Education and Housing and Urban Development.
