FAA Announces 10% Flight Reduction at 40 Key U.S. Airports Due to Lack of Controllers from Government Shutdown
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a plan that includes a 10% reduction in flights at 40 high-traffic airports in the United States, starting Friday. The decision responds to safety concerns stemming from a shortage of air traffic controllers, caused by the prolonged government shutdown.
Affected Airports and Reduction Schedule
Among the most impacted terminals are the three main ones in the New York metropolitan area, plus facilities in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Houston, Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, Denver, Boston, Atlanta, San Diego, Washington, and Detroit, according to a list obtained by Reuters.
The plan, announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday, is based on internal data on controller performance; they have been working without pay for over a month.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford informed the chief executives of major airlines that the cuts will begin at 4% on Friday, increase to 5% on Saturday, 6% on Sunday, and reach 10% next week. However, industry sources indicated that the FAA might adjust the schedule, maintaining 4% until Sunday, rising to 6% on Monday, and reaching 10% on Wednesday.
Exemptions, Restrictions, and Industry Reactions
The cuts will apply exclusively to flights between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., excluding international operations. Furthermore, severe restrictions will be imposed on space launches and general aviation.
Airlines, including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Air Lines, have begun waiving change fees and allowing free rescheduling or cancellations over the weekend, given the uncertainty generated.
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With just 36 hours to implement the adjustments, companies were forced to quickly reorganize their operations, while customer service centers were inundated with inquiries from passengers concerned about their itineraries.
Some airlines requested additional details on how the cuts would be distributed throughout the day and expressed interest in starting to cancel Friday’s flights as early as Thursday to facilitate passenger rebooking.
Shutdown Impact and Demands for Transparency
The government shutdown, the longest in the country’s history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents to work without pay. Since its start, tens of thousands of flights have experienced delays due to staff shortages, affecting at least 3.2 million passengers.
During a call with Bedford, several executives demanded access to the safety data that prompted the FAA’s decision. In the political arena, Representative Rick Larsen, the top Democrat on the committee overseeing the agency, urged that risk assessments be shared immediately with Congress.
For her part, the Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jennifer Homendy, endorsed the measure: “What they are doing is taking proactive action to make sure nothing happens,” she stated.
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