FAA Mandates Flight Reductions Amid Government Shutdown

Washington, Nov 7 (AP) The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has initiated an unprecedented mandate to reduce flight operations nationwide due to the prolonged government shutdown, beginning Friday morning. Passengers scrambled to find alternative travel arrangements.

The FAA's directive impacts 40 airports across over two dozen states, including major hubs such as Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Charlotte, North Carolina. The order also affects multiple airports in metropolitan areas like New York, Houston, Chicago, and Washington, with potential ripple effects on smaller airports.

Airlines hurried to revise their schedules, preemptively canceling flights on Thursday ahead of the FAA's official order, while travelers anxiously awaited updates on their flight statuses.

"We are operating today over 6,000 flights," reported David Seymour, chief operating officer for American Airlines, on ABC's "Good Morning America." "Now we've had to cancel as part of this directive 220 flights today, and that will be the sustainable number through the weekend until we start ramping up. We've been working tirelessly throughout, around the clock, to ensure we're minimizing disruption to our customers." Airlines advised passengers with weekend travel plans to check apps for their flight status.

Some travelers sought alternatives to flying, with Hertz noting a significant rise in one-way car rentals. One-way reservations have surged by more than 20% through the weekend, compared to the same period last year.

"We join the airlines in urging Congress to swiftly pass a clean continuing resolution and restore certainty for travelers," wrote Hertz CEO Gil West. "Every day of delay creates unnecessary disruption." The flight tracking service FlightAware reported more than 815 cancellations nationwide. Delta Air Lines announced roughly 170 cancellations on Friday, and American Airlines planned to cut 220 flights daily through Monday.

The FAA detailed that reductions would begin at 4% and increase to 10% by November 14, effective between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., covering all commercial airlines.

The reductions aim to ease the burden on air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay for over a month. Many face six-day weeks and mandatory overtime, leading to increased absenteeism as financial pressures and exhaustion grow.

"You can't expect people to go into work when they're not getting a paycheck," said Kelly Matthews from Flat Rock, Michigan, a frequent business traveler who has canceled most of her impending trips. "It's not that they don't want to do the job, but you can't afford gas, daycare, and everything else." This order comes amid the Trump administration's push to pressure Democrats in Congress to resolve the shutdown.

Airlines promised to minimize customer disruption, with some focusing on reducing routes to and from smaller and medium-sized cities. According to the Department of Transportation, carriers are obligated to refund customers for canceled flights but are not required to cover secondary expenses such as food and lodging unless delays or cancellations are within the airline's control.

Industry analyst Henry Harteveldt cautioned that these reductions will “have a noticeable impact across the US air transportation system.” The cutbacks might also affect package deliveries, as Memphis, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky, key hubs for FedEx and UPS respectively, are among the affected airports. (AP)

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