More than 1,400 flights were canceled across the United States on Saturday (8 November) due to the ongoing government shutdown. Earlier, the federal government had instructed airlines to reduce operations because of the gridlock, according to a report by the BBC.
Additionally, flight-tracking service FlightAware reported that nearly 6,000 flights were delayed either on departure or arrival the same day. The previous day, the number had exceeded 7,000.
Earlier in the week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that flight operations at 40 of the country’s busiest airports could be reduced by up to 10 percent. The shutdown has forced air traffic controllers to work without pay, leading to complaints of excessive workload and fatigue.
The shutdown, which began on 1 October, reached its 39th day on Saturday—making it the longest in U.S. history. Congress has yet to reach a funding agreement, with Republicans and Democrats still deadlocked. Both sides met in Washington over the weekend in hopes of resolving the crisis, but the impact on ordinary Americans is already significant.
In a statement, American Airlines urged political leaders to reach an immediate solution to end the shutdown.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey experienced the worst delays. By Saturday afternoon, incoming flights were delayed by more than four hours on average, while departing flights saw an average delay of one and a half hours.
According to FlightAware, Charlotte/Douglas, Newark Liberty, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport recorded the highest number of cancellations on Saturday. The FAA reported average departure delays of three hours from John F. Kennedy International Airport, two and a half hours from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, and nearly one hour from LaGuardia Airport.
With Thanksgiving—the busiest travel period in the United States—approaching on 27 November, concerns are rising that travel disruptions may worsen if the shutdown is not resolved soon.
The FAA stated that reducing flight volume is necessary for safety because employees are working excessive hours. Unions reported that many workers, forced to work without pay, are calling in sick or taking part-time jobs to cope.
Nearly 1.4 million federal employees are either working without pay or on mandatory leave. Among them are approximately 64,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees whose pay has been halted, slowing airport operations nationwide.
