WASHINGTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) — More than 2,700 flights across the United States were canceled on Sunday, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautioned that air travel could slow to a “trickle” as the Thanksgiving holiday nears, with air traffic controller shortages worsening amid a prolonged federal government shutdown.
Major airlines faced their third consecutive day of flight reductions ordered by the government after thousands of delays and cancellations snarled airports on Saturday. The shutdown, now in its 40th day, has left air traffic controllers unpaid, creating significant staffing gaps.
“It’s only going to deteriorate,” Duffy told CNN’s State of the Union. “In the two weeks before Thanksgiving, travel will be reduced to a trickle.”
Thanksgiving, one of the busiest U.S. holidays, falls on November 27 this year.
“Millions usually fly during this period,” Duffy said, “but if the government remains closed, many won’t even have the chance to board a plane.”
Sunday marked the worst day of cancellations since the shutdown began on October 1.
✈️ Government Flight Reduction Orders
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has instructed airlines to reduce 4% of daily flights at 40 major airports starting Friday due to safety concerns. Those cuts will expand to 6% on Tuesday and 10% by November 14.
Several airlines have already mapped out cancellations for the upcoming week. United Airlines said it will drop 190 flights Monday and 269 on Tuesday.
By 9:45 p.m. ET (0245 GMT) Sunday, FlightAware data showed 2,762 cancellations and over 9,900 delays nationwide, while the FAA reported staffing shortages at 12 towers.
Duffy explained that air traffic controller retirements have accelerated since the shutdown began, leaving the FAA short by 1,000 to 2,000 controllers. “Before the shutdown, around four controllers retired daily. Now we’re seeing 15 to 20,” he said.
Saturday saw 1,550 cancellations and 6,700 delays, compared with 1,025 cancellations and 7,000 delays on Friday.
Airline executives privately warned that the frequency of delay programs made it nearly impossible to plan flight schedules and feared further disruptions if staffing continued to decline.
💵 Economic Fallout
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CBS’s Face the Nation that the travel chaos could affect U.S. GDP growth, saying:
“Thanksgiving is a critical time for the economy. If travel collapses, we might face a negative fourth quarter.”
Airlines for America, representing major U.S. carriers, estimated that more than 4 million travelers have been affected since the shutdown began. It projected a daily economic loss of $285 million to $580 million by next Friday.
The flight reductions, which started Friday morning, involved about 700 flights from major airlines — American (AAL.O), Delta (DAL.N), Southwest (LUV.N), and United (UAL.O).
During the shutdown, roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 airport security screeners have been required to work without pay. Duffy has warned he may impose up to 20% flight reductions if absenteeism increases.
Meanwhile, Republican Senator Ted Cruz said the FAA informed him that pilots have filed over 500 safety reports since October 1 due to controller fatigue and stress.
Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Bill Berkrot, Deepa Babington, and Christian Schmollinger.
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