Air Traffic Cuts Expected at Major U. S.

As the U. S. government shutdown continues, major American commercial airports, including Atlanta Hartsfield, New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), Los Angeles International (LAX), and Miami International (MIA), will be facing air traffic cuts starting November 7th.

On November 5th, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U. S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the decision to reduce air traffic in order to ease the pressure and fatigue on essential workers, such as air traffic controllers, who are required to work without pay during the shutdown.

Since the shutdown began on December 22nd, air traffic controllers have not received any pay. As a result, they have started to call in sick in larger numbers, causing disruptions in flight schedules. This has happened before during the 35-day government shutdown in January 2019.

The main issue at hand is the disagreement between Democrats and Republicans on extending healthcare benefits under the Affordable Care Act, which has no direct relation to aviation. However, the effects of the shutdown are now being felt by airlines, airports, and the traveling public.

Another group of essential workers affected by the shutdown are airport security screeners employed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). They are also required to work without pay, which could lead to longer wait times at security checkpoints as fewer agents show up for work.

On November 6th, the FAA and the U. S. Transportation Department (DOT) released a list of 40 airports that will experience schedule cuts. This includes 30 of the largest and busiest airports in America, such as Boston Logan, Charlotte Douglas, Denver International, Newark Liberty, Reagan-Washington, Washington Dulles, and Seattle-Tacoma. Additionally, 10 mid-sized airports and cargo hubs, including Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky, Chicago Midway, Dallas Love Field, Houston Hobby Airport, and UPS hub Louisville International, will also see a reduction in air traffic.

Starting on November 7th, all of these airports will see a 4% decrease in air traffic, which will deepen to 10% during the weekend of November 8th-9th.

Airlines have been forced to make changes to their schedules and have started to inform customers. American Airlines has stated that the majority of travel will not be affected, and long-haul international flights will continue as scheduled. In the case of flight cancellations or if a customer wishes to change or cancel their flight, they will be able to do so without penalty and receive a full refund. Other major airlines, such as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, have also issued similar statements.

However, as the shutdown prolongs, it will become increasingly difficult for airlines to manage the schedule cuts without suffering financial losses.