Flight disruptions occur amid the government shutdown
Thousands of flights canceled as controller shortages rise
Photo courtesy of Joe Ravi/Wikimedia Commons
As of Tuesday Nov. 11, the federal government has been shut down for 42 days. As reported by Al Jazeera, this shutdown has meant that “around 750,000 federal employees have been furloughed, millions of Americans go without food assistance, and air travel is disrupted across the country.” From Oct. 1 to Nov. 7, more than 4 million passengers on U.S. carriers have been disrupted by controller shortages due to the government shutdown, according to Politico.
AP News attributes these shortages to the reality that “controllers have gone without paychecks for nearly a month during the shutdown, leading many to call in sick and compound previously existing staffing shortages.” As controllers have worked without pay for over a month now, some are being forced to take second jobs to pay their bills. According to AP News, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has delivered “1,600 handwritten letters from members to Congress calling for the shutdown to end.”
The government shutdown has thus impacted not only the controllers and their financial situations, but also thousands of would-be passengers across the country. As reported by USA Today, “By 9:30 p.m. ET Monday [Nov. 10], more than 8,700 flights within, into, or out of the United States had been delayed, according to FlightAware. Over 2,300 flights were canceled for the day.” Concerns are heightened by the anticipated influx of travelers as the holiday season approaches when according to the New York Times, “a record 30 million people” are expected to travel in “over about a dozen days around Thanksgiving.” According to Reuters, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the situation is “only going to get worse,” further commenting that “the two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle.”
Many passengers have expressed concern and frustration about already-canceled flights and lost travel experiences. AP News spoke to Diana Alvear of New Jersey, who noted that she had to cancel a trip to see her in-laws in California due to concerns flying “when controllers are working long hours and understaffed.” She stated, “This has been costly to us, and it’s a huge disappointment for us and our family.” Emmy Holguin, “who was flying from Miami to see family in the Dominican Republic,” stated, “We all have somewhere to be…I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”
After 42 days of government shutdown—the longest in U.S. history, according to NPR—the Senate has approved a compromise that could bring it to an end. Reuters reports that the deal would “restore funding for federal agencies” and would “stall President Donald Trump’s campaign to downsize the federal workforce, preventing any layoffs until Jan. 30.” The bill still needs approval from the House of Representatives, but CBS News reports that “House Speaker Mike Johnson said members should begin returning to Washington ‘right now’ in anticipation of a vote later this week.”
While this news may come as a relief to many federal workers and hopeful travelers, the Washington Postreports airlines have warned that flights will continue to be disrupted even after the shutdown ends. Airlines for America, “a trade association that represents major airlines including American, Delta, Southwest and United,” released a statement which read, “Airlines’ reduced flight schedules cannot immediately bounce back to full capacity right after the government reopens. It will take time, and there will be residual effects for days.”