The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instructed airlines to reduce daily flights by four percent starting Friday at 40 major airports due to concerns about air traffic control safety. The shutdown led to a shortage of air traffic controllers. On Saturday, the FAA reported issues related to air traffic control staff at 25 other airports and centers, causing flight delays in at least 12 major US cities, including Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York. About 5,450 flights were delayed on Saturday following 7,000 delays and 1,025 cancellations on Friday. During the prolonged government shutdown, now 39 days long, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security personnel were forced to work without pay, resulting in increased absenteeism. Several air traffic controllers were notified last Thursday that they would not receive any pay for the second consecutive pay period next week. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that a 20 percent reduction in air traffic might be requested if more controllers stop attending work, adding, “I am assessing the data. We will make decisions based on what we see in the airspace.” The Trump administration cited air traffic control issues as Republicans attempt to pressure Senate Democrats to support what they call a “clean” government funding bill without restrictions. Democrats blame the shutdown on Republicans’ refusal to negotiate support for health insurance that will end at the end of this year.
