Frustration is mounting over the growing number of flight cancellations and delays at airports across the United States, and those disruptions are scheduled to get worse this week and linger even after the government shutdown ends.
US President Donald Trump pressured air traffic controllers to "get back to work, NOW!!!"
The Federal Aviation Administration cancelled thousands of flights over the weekend due to the shutdown and because some air traffic controllers — unpaid for nearly a month — have stopped showing up, citing the added stress and need to take second jobs.
Trump posted on social media today that he wants to give a US$10,000 (NZ$17,709) bonus to controllers who've stayed on the job every day and dock the pay of those who didn't.
The head of the controllers union said they are being used as a "political pawn" in the fight over the shutdown.
The Senate took a first step Monday toward reopening the federal government, but final passage could still be several days away. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made clear last week that flight cuts will remain in place until the FAA sees safety metrics improve.
Over the weekend, airlines cancelled thousands of flights to comply with the order to eliminate 4% of flights. The cancellations are scheduled to rise to 6% of all flights at 40 of the nation's busiest airports by tomorrow. By the end of the week, cancellations are set to reach 10% of all flights at those airports.
About 10% of all flights nationwide were cancelled yesterday, making it the fourth worst day for cancellations since January 2024, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium. Even though the airlines only set out to cut 4% of flights at these 40 airports, there are ripple effects throughout the system when planes and crews are out of position for their next flights.
Already, travellers are growing angry.
"All of this has real negative consequences for millions of Americans, and it's 100% unnecessary and avoidable," said Todd Walker, whose flight from San Francisco to Washington state was cancelled over the weekend, causing him to miss his mum's 80th birthday party.
Airlines had cancelled another 1600 flights for today and nearly 1000 for tomorrow. International flights have not been affected.
The FAA issued more flight restrictions starting today, barring business jets and many private flights from using a dozen of the airports where restrictions on commercial flights already are in place.
Beyond the mandated cuts, flight delays have at times affected airports nationwide ever since the shutdown began. That's because the FAA slows air traffic when it's short on controllers at one of its facilities to ensure flights remain safe.
The shutdown has made a demanding job even more stressful, leading to fatigue and increased risks, said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
"This is the erosion of the safety margin the public never sees, but the American public relies upon every day," the union chief said.
Some controllers can't afford child care to come to work while others are moonlighting as food delivery drivers or even selling plasma to pay their bills, Daniels said. The number who are retiring or quitting is "growing by the day", he said.
Tuesday will be the second missed payday for air traffic controllers and other FAA employees. It's unclear how quickly they might be paid once the shutdown ends. Daniels said that in the 2019 shutdown, it took controllers two to two-and-a-half months to get all their back pay.
The government has struggled for years with a shortage of air traffic controllers, and Duffy said the shutdown has worsened the problem, prompting some controllers to retire early or quit. Before the shutdown, the transportation secretary had been working to address the shortage by hiring more controllers, speeding up training and offering bonuses to retain experienced controllers.
Duffy warned over the weekend that if the shutdown drags on, the situation could deteriorate further as the US heads into the busy holiday travel season. He said air travel may "be reduced to a trickle" by the week of Thanksgiving.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including Trump threatens to sue the BBC, drones used to find hotspots in Tongariro National Park, and a surprise show after a cancelled concert. (Source: Breakfast)
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