Hundreds of flights were cancelled in the past few days across the United States, causing major disruptions for several airlines. American Airlines, in particular, experienced an unprecedented number of cancellations, largely due to winter weather and the aftermath of a recent storm in its major hub in Dallas.
Other airlines also faced their fair share of issues. Delta Air Lines saw a significant impact from Winter Storm Fern, with major hubs in LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports struggling to keep up with cancellations.
However, the affected airports are now in the process of operational recovery. The concern now is the possibility of another government shutdown, which could further disrupt flights and cause more chaos for airlines already struggling.
Airlines For America, a trade group representing major U. S. airlines such as Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, has expressed its concerns over the potential shutdown. In a statement, the group urged Congress to keep the government open and highlighted the negative impacts of the last shutdown, including losses of $150 million per day.
It should be noted that a bill was approved in December, allowing the FAA to continue paying air traffic controllers during a possible shutdown. However, there has been no statement yet on the bill or any updates from the FAA regarding the potential shutdown.
The major U. S. airlines have already faced significant losses due to winter storms in January. During the last 43-day government shutdown, American Airlines alone lost $325 million in revenue, while United Airlines and Delta Air Lines saw losses of $250 million and $200 million, respectively.
The timing of a possible shutdown could not be worse for the major U. S. airlines, as they have just dealt with thousands of cancellations in recent days. According to Forbes, American Airlines alone saw a $200 million revenue loss due to the recent winter storm.
On Sunday, January 27, American Airlines had 1,915 flights cancelled, followed by Delta Air Lines with 1,484 and Southwest Airlines with 1,347. United Airlines also had over 1,000 cancelled flights.
The cancellations continued into the next day, with American Airlines recording the most cancellations due to ongoing issues at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
If another government shutdown does take place, it could have a disastrous effect on several major airlines in the United States, given the high volume of cancellations they have already experienced in recent days. The hope is that any potential shutdown will not have the same long-term negative impacts as the previous one.