Government Shutdown Casts Shadow Over U.S. Air Travel with 8,000 Flight Delays
The U.S. federal government shutdown, now in its 26th day, has worsened staff shortages at the Federal Aviation administration (FAA), particularly among air traffic controllers. This disruption has caused delays for more than eight thousand flights across the country, according to the English section of webangah News Agency,citing mehr News Agency and Reuters.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean duffey announced that on Saturday,the FAA faced meaningful shortages in air traffic control personnel across 22 regions. He added that these shortages are expected to result in even more flight delays and cancellations in the coming days.
Flight tracking site FlightAware reported that by 11 p.m. Eastern Time Sunday (4 a.m. GMT Monday),over eight thousand flight delays had been recorded nationwide-an increase from about 5,300 delays on Saturday. Since the government shutdown began on October 1, delay levels have frequently exceeded average rates.
Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and nearly 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers have been working without pay throughout the shutdown.
Observers are closely monitoring growing flight cancellations and delays as they seek signs of how profoundly the shutdown is affecting everyday life in America. The mounting disruptions may increase pressure on lawmakers to resolve the budget stalemate causing this closure.
The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions could worsen after Tuesday when air traffic controllers miss their first full paycheck during this period without funding.
During a previous 35-day government shutdown in 2019, absences rose among both air traffic controllers and transportation security officers due to unpaid wages. This led to longer wait times at airport security checkpoints and forced officials to slow down air traffic around major hubs like New York and washington D.C.
