KEY POINTS
- The aviation and transportation departments announced a planned 10 % reduction in flight capacity
- The move is a response to air‑traffic controllers and other aviation staff working without pay
- Flight reductions will be phased in, starting with a 4 % cut and reaching 10 % by early next week
- Airlines and travellers are bracing for widespread disruption ahead of the busy holiday travel period
ISLAMABAD: The United States government has ordered a substantial reduction in flight operations at dozens of its major airports, citing an aviation workforce stretched to the brink by the nation’s longest‑ever government shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters that the FAA will direct airlines to reduce scheduled flights by up to 10 % at approximately 40 high‑traffic airports beginning Friday unless a funding deal is reached in Washington, according to Reuters.
The decision comes as an estimated 13,000 air‑traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents continue to work without pay, compounding fatigue and staffing shortages.
Media outlets have obtained a proposed list of affected airports, including Hartsfield‑Jackson Atlanta International, Chicago O’Hare, Los Angeles International, and the three‑airport Washington, D.C. region, CBS News reported.
Airlines have been instructed to plan schedules focusing cuts first on domestic and regional routes, with some carriers offering flexible cancellations and refunds.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency was taking preventive action in response to early signs of fatigue among controllers, warning that waiting for a crisis could be dangerous, Axios, a US media outlet, reported.
The shutdown’s impact on travel is widening, with TSA security delays increasing and some airports reporting “ATC zero” incidents, Wikipedia noted.
Analysts warn that if the shutdown persists, further aviation disruptions—including more reductions, delays, and temporary airspace closures—are likely, Times of Israel reported.
