On Wednesday afternoon Eastern Time, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that starting Friday morning, he would cut flight capacity at 40 major airports across the United States by 10%, which is expected to affect approximately 3,500 to 4,000 flights per day in the U.S.
"This is a proactive measure," Duffy said at a press conference, but he did not disclose which airports would be affected.
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford stated that further measures may be taken after the initial flight reductions.
Bedford stated, "As we analyze the data more meticulously, we discover that some pressures are building up, and if we allow these situations to continue unchecked, we can no longer assure the public that the aviation system we operate is the safest in the world."
Bedford added that the government will meet with stakeholders in the aviation industry to determine how to proceed with the cuts. He stated that this situation had never occurred during his time in the aviation industry.
Duffy stated that since there is no clear end date for the current flight reductions, further cuts are expected. "We previously thought 10% was appropriate because that was the level of pressure we were feeling at the time," Duffy added.
US government shutdown impacts aviation industry
The US government has been shut down since early October, and the shutdown has lasted for 36 days, setting a record for the longest shutdown in US history.
Due to the ongoing government shutdown, a large number of air traffic controllers in the United States have been forced to work without pay, resulting in significant absenteeism in this position. Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the US was already understaffed with air traffic controllers before the shutdown.
Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security personnel are among the essential government workers who must work during the government shutdown. However, with the U.S. government unable to pay salaries, some workers have been forced to take on part-time jobs to make ends meet.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that since October 1, understaffing at some FAA facilities has affected some flights.
Earlier this week, Duffy even said he might "close the entire airspace" if the US government shutdown continued.
On Wednesday morning, Nick Daniels, president of the National Association of Air Traffic Controllers, said that it could take "weeks" to recover from the impact of the government shutdown on air traffic controllers.
(Article source: CLS)
