ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Air travel operations across the United States entered a heightened phase of uncertainty on Friday, following the implementation of a federal directive mandating a reduction in flight volumes at multiple major airports nationwide.
The flight cuts are being presented as a strategy to address air traffic safety concerns connected to staff shortages caused by the record-long government shutdown that has lasted six weeks.
The Trump administration instructed airlines to reduce flights at 40 airports, including several major hubs, starting Friday morning with a four per cent cut that will gradually rise to 10 per cent next week.
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Some of the nation’s busiest airports Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles are among those affected.
“This isn’t about politics, it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system,” said US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, responding to criticism that the order is aimed at increasing pressure on Democrats to resolve the shutdown.
The shutdown, which began on October 1 and has now become the longest ever, has left tens of thousands of air traffic controllers, airport security workers, and other staff without pay.
More than 800 flights scheduled for Friday were cancelled, according to tracking platform FlightAware, while American Airlines stated that its own portion of the reduction amounts to around 220 cancelled flights per day.
Delta Airlines announced that it cancelled about 170 flights scheduled for Friday, while CNN reported that Southwest Airlines cancelled around 100 flights for that same day.
On Thursday alone, more than 6,800 US flights were delayed and about 200 were cancelled, according to FlightAware data, with travellers experiencing long lines at security checkpoints.
Passengers at airports such as Boston and Newark experienced average delays of over two hours, with delays of more than an hour also recorded at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport and Washington’s Reagan National.
Authorities emphasised that they wanted to act before any serious incident happened.
“We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself, when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
– Peak travel season –
These measures are being introduced just as the United States approaches one of its busiest travel periods, with the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching.
Millions of Americans may face travel disruptions due to the staffing shortages, although the Trump administration has attempted to reassure the public that flying remains safe.
“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after because of the proactive actions we are taking,” Duffy said on social media late Thursday.
Implementing the order with such short notice will pose operational challenges for airlines.
United Airlines and Delta said they are complying with the directive, adding that international operations will not be affected.
United also noted earlier in the week that “hub-to-hub” flights will remain intact, which suggests that the cancellations will likely affect more regional and domestic routes.
Federal agencies across the country have been slowing down due to lack of funding after Congress did not approve new allocations beyond September 30, leaving around 1.4 million federal workers from air traffic controllers to national park rangers either working without pay or placed on forced leave.
According to Duffy, many workers in demanding aviation roles are now calling in sick and possibly taking on additional jobs just to manage their bills.
FAA chief Bedford described the situation as one unlike anything the agency has experienced.
“I am not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures,” he said Wednesday.
Bedford added: “Then again, we’re in new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”
AFP