More than 1,700 flights canceled due to US government shutdown

The negative impact of the US government shutdown on air travel in the country continues. Following the announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Thursday that flight operations would be reduced at 40 airports across the US due to the shutdown, a large number of flights have been canceled as of yesterday, covering the weekend as well. According to data from airline analysts, more than 1,700 flights have been canceled through Sunday, with approximately 800 of those occurring yesterday.

FLIGHT DELAYS EXPERIENCED

Despite the cancellations made within the scope of the measures taken, many passengers experienced delays lasting hours on their flights. Since Thursday, a total of approximately 7,000 flights have been delayed, with at least 4,300 of those occurring yesterday.

Officials stated that the reason for the reduction in the number of flights is that federal air traffic control and security personnel, whose salaries cannot be paid due to the shutdown, are not reporting for duty. It was emphasized that the decision in question was made to ensure that negative developments do not create security vulnerabilities in air travel.

The FAA announced that the reduction in flights at 40 airports will gradually increase if the government remains shut down. The 4 percent drop that began with the cancellation of 800 flights yesterday is expected to rise to 6 percent next Tuesday, 8 percent on Thursday, and 10 percent on Friday.

US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that if the deadlock in Congress does not end soon, the reduction rates in question could rise to between 15 and 20 percent. Duffy also said it is estimated that air traffic control personnel will not return to work immediately if the government reopens.

News Source: İHA