America paralyzed: Government shut down for 36 days, ordered to cut 10% of flights, aviation on the brink of chaos
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on November 5 (US time) that he would order a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports in the country. The reason given was serious concerns about air traffic safety as the government shutdown extended into its record 36th day.
The drastic plan threw airlines into chaos, racing to drastically cut flight schedules in just 36 hours. Customer service hotlines were immediately overwhelmed by worried passengers.
The government shutdown, now the longest in US history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers (ATC) and 50,000 airport security officers (TSA) to work without pay.
"Can't ignore"
A worsening shortage of air traffic controllers has caused delays for tens of thousands of flights since the government shutdown began, with airlines saying at least 3.2 million travelers have been affected.
In an emergency call with major airlines, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said capacity cuts would start at 4%, increase to 5% on Saturday, 6% on Sunday, before reaching 10% next week. The FAA also plans to exempt international flights from the cuts.
“When we see increased pressure in these 40 markets, we cannot ignore it,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference. “We must act today to prevent things from getting worse.”
The decision comes after Minister Duffy reviewed a confidential safety review which raised concerns about the performance of air traffic controllers due to the shutdown.
The cuts are expected to affect the 30 busiest airports, including hubs in New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles, reducing up to 1,800 flights and more than 268,000 passenger seats per day, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Political deadlock "kidnaps" aviation safety
The root cause of this aviation crisis is political gridlock in Congress. The federal government has been shut down since October 1 when Republicans and Democrats could not agree on a funding bill. Democrats say they will not pass a budget that does not include an extension of health insurance subsidies. Republicans and President Donald Trump reject this, refusing to negotiate on health care until the government is reopened.
The Trump administration has sought to increase pressure on Democrats by highlighting the risk of severe disruption to air travel. Mr Duffy said the cuts could be reversed if Democrats agreed to reopen the government.
Labor unions, however, have criticized both sides. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants (which represents 55,000 flight attendants), called the shutdowns "cruel attacks on every American."
“The false narrative that this shutdown is a choice between paying federal workers or protecting affordable health care is outrageous, when both crises were created by the very people who could fix them,” Nelson said.
Airlines "spin"
The FAA warned that it could impose additional flight restrictions if air traffic issues continue to arise.
Major airlines have immediately announced response strategies:
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the airline will not change long-haul international flights or flights between major hubs. The cuts will be aimed at regional flights and non-hub domestic routes. The airline is also implementing a flexible refund policy.
American Airlines sent a similar message, saying most customers would be minimally affected. Southwest Airlines, the largest domestic carrier, said it was assessing the impact and called on lawmakers to resolve the impasse immediately.
Shares of major airlines including United Airlines and American Airlines fell about 1% on the news. The carriers warned that bookings could fall if the shutdown persists.