Flight cancellations and delays for us continue to increase amid the government shutdown
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Americans facing flights to airports in the US are expected to have a hard time this week if Congress fails to reach an agreement to reopen the federal government.
US airlines canceled more than 1,500 flights Saturday and more than 2,900 Sunday to comply with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) order to reduce traffic as some air traffic controllers, who have gone unpaid for nearly a month, have stopped showing up for work.
As of early Monday, airlines had already canceled about 1,600 Monday flights and about 1,000 Tuesday flights.
The Senate took the first step to end the blaze Sunday, but the final passage could be days away and experts say it will take time for flights to resume even after the government backs down.
Democrats and Republicans in the US Senate are reportedly close to an agreement to end the 40-day government shutdown, at least temporarily.
Many airports are experiencing significant delays for canceled flights as well, with airports in Newark, Orlando, Chicago and Chicago and Detroit all experiencing delays of more than an hour and increasing, according to Flaasare.
This is the second pay period in which Air Traffic controllers have not received payment for their work. The head of the Air Traffic Controllers Union, Nick Daniels, will hold a press conference on Monday morning to address the impact of the closure.
Delays and cancellations it could have been worse As more and more airlines can’t find planes, pilots and flight attendants due to a shortage of air vehicles.
The FAA implemented a mandatory 4 percent reduction in flights this weekend to manage crews. That will increase by six percent on Tuesday and 10 percent this coming weekend. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said FOX News on Sunday An additional flight reduction of 20 percent may be required.
“Most managers don’t try to work day in and day out, where they’re going without a paycheque,” Duffy said.
The grounding of US domestic flights continues at 40 airports in response to the government shutdown. The FAA has ordered a 4 percent reduction in flights, and is expected to increase it to 10 percent late next week. CBC’s Julia Wong on how the cuts could affect Canadian travelers, especially those catching connecting flights in the US
The US government has been short on aviation regulators for years, and several presidential administrations have tried to persuade retirement-age regulators to stay on the job. Duffy said the shutdown exacerbated the problem, prompting air traffic controllers to accelerate their retirements.
While four percent may sound modest, most of that reduction occurred at the country’s busiest and most congested airports. The FAA says the flight reductions are necessary to keep travelers safe, as most of the remaining regulators are putting in more and more enforcement hours while the government remains out of the loop.
If not addressed soon, the situation could worsen as the US heads into the busy holiday travel season. Duffy said air travel may be “reduced to illusion” during the week of American Thanksgiving.
