The skies aren’t getting any clearer. Sunday marked the worst day for air travel since the government shutdown began more than 40 days ago – and the disruptions are still piling up.
As of 7 a.m. CST Monday, airlines had canceled more than 1,700 flights nationwide, with another 1,000 delayed, according to FlightAware. That follows Sunday’s 3,400 cancellations and nearly 11,000 delays, the highest single-day totals since the shutdown began.
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What officials are saying
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned last week that the disruptions are likely to get worse, citing air traffic controller shortages and fatigue among unpaid federal workers.
“I think it’s only going to get worse. We have some controllers who are new controllers. We have trainee controllers who are very helpful in the tower. They don’t make a lot of money, and they’re now confronted,” Duffy said. “They haven’t had a paycheck in over a month. They’re confronted with the decision: do I put food on my kids’ table, do I put gas in the car, do I pay my rent, or do I go to work and not get paid.”
Duffy said the government would not halt air traffic entirely unless safety became a concern. But soon after his comments, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it was reducing air traffic by 10% at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency won’t wait for a problem before it acts. During a press conference on Wednesday, he said the shutdown is causing staffing problems and “we can’t ignore it.”
Carriers are required to reduce operations by at least 6% by Tuesday, and the full 10% by the end of the week, according to The Washington Post.
The shutdown outlook
There may be a small sign of relief on the horizon. Sunday night, eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans to advance a House-passed short-term funding bill, with a 60-to-40 vote that could reopen the government as soon as this week.
The deal would fund the government through January, restore pay for federal workers, and reverse mass firings ordered under the Trump administration.
The Senate reconvenes at 11 a.m. ET to continue negotiating final details.
