Over 1,000 flights were canceled across the U.S. on Friday after the Trump administration mandated cuts to alleviate stress on air traffic controllers working without pay during the federal government shutdown.
Forty airports, including major hubs like Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles, faced these reductions.
With Republicans and Democrats locked in a fierce standoff, especially over health insurance subsidies, federal agencies have been paralyzed since funding expired on October 1.
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Many government employees, including essential airport staff, are either working unpaid or are furloughed, waiting for the nearly six-week-long crisis to conclude.
The flight cuts are being rolled out gradually, starting at four percent and increasing to 10 percent next week if Congress hasn’t reached a funding agreement.
According to FlightAware, more than 1,000 flights scheduled for Friday were canceled.
The most affected airports late Friday included Reagan National in Washington, Denver International, and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, AFP data showed.
The FAA reported that travelers at Reagan National faced average delays of four hours, with 90-minute waits in Phoenix and one-hour delays in Chicago and San Francisco.
“This is frustrating. We don’t need to be in this position,” American Airlines CEO Robert Isom told CNBC.
The disruption means ordinary Americans are now directly experiencing the effects of the Washington budget conflict that has shuttered much of the government.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed Democrats for the shutdown, urging them to vote to reopen the government.
“If Democrats are going home this weekend while keeping the government shut down, that’s shameful,” Duffy told reporters at Reagan National Airport.
President Donald Trump also urged Senate lawmakers to stay in Washington until an agreement is reached to end the shutdown.
Republicans control Congress, but Democrats have refused to approve the majority party’s budget plans, which include severe healthcare cuts.
‘Hurting people’
The flight reduction measures come as the country enters its busiest travel season, with Thanksgiving approaching.
“This will get serious if it drags into Thanksgiving,” retiree Werner Buchi told AFP at New York’s LaGuardia airport as he awaited his daughter’s flight from Wilmington, North Carolina.
Rhonda, 65, who arrived at LaGuardia without issue from Portland, Maine, expressed concern about holiday plans “that could be ruined because people won’t talk to each other. This is hurting a lot of people,” she said.
American Airlines stated that its reductions equate to 220 flight cancellations each day.
Delta Air Lines announced it was cutting about 170 flights scheduled for Friday, while CNN reported that Southwest Airlines canceled around 100 flights set for the day.
More than 6,800 U.S. flights were delayed Thursday with about 200 cancellations, FlightAware data showed, with passengers facing long lines at security checkpoints.
‘Safe to fly’
The Trump administration assured the public that flying remains safe.
“It’s safe to fly today, tomorrow, and the day after due to our proactive measures,” Duffy posted on social media late Thursday.
However, many in high-stress aviation jobs are calling in sick and potentially working second jobs to cover expenses.
