The US government announced on Wednesday that airlines will be asked to cut flights from Friday to ease pressure on air traffic control, hit by increased absenteeism due to the ongoing budget deadlock in Washington.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said at a press conference that flight capacity will be reduced by 10% at 40 of the country’s busiest airports. He explained that there is a shortage of 2,000 air traffic controllers, so the number of flights handled needs to be reduced to ease pressure on staff.
The United States entered its 36th day of a government shutdown on Wednesday, marking the longest budget impasse in the country’s history.
Since 1 October, hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed, while an equal number remain forced to work without pay until the crisis is resolved.
More than 60,000 air traffic controllers and transportation security officers are among those working without wages, prompting some to stay away from their posts rather than work unpaid.
The government’s decision comes ahead of a long holiday weekend, as Tuesday 11 November is a public holiday in the United States.
The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Bryan Bedford, urged airlines to work with authorities to adjust flight schedules on Wednesday.
Bedford, who has 35 years of experience, said he could not recall any previous time such a cut had been made in the aviation sector.
The FAA supervises an average of 44,000 flights per day. A 10% reduction would mean over 4,000 flights cancelled.
