Over the weekend, thousands of flights were canceled following a federal mandate to reduce air traffic at busy airports. As Thanksgiving approaches, the situation could worsen for both airlines and travelers.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instructed airlines to cut 4% of their flights at 40 airports starting Friday. This move aimed to enhance safety and ease the burden on air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown.
By Saturday, there were significant disruptions. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that traffic was limited 81 times because of staffing shortages. At one point, only four out of 22 controllers in Atlanta were present.
“It’s only going to get worse,” Duffy warned. “Air travel may reduce to a trickle in the weeks before Thanksgiving.”
Airlines tried to manage these restrictions by carefully canceling flights, but the situation became challenging as cuts were expected to rise to 10% by Friday. Steve Olson, JetBlue’s head of operations, explained that fewer flights complicate crew and aircraft scheduling, making operations more chaotic.
From Friday to Sunday, major airlines like American, Delta, and United canceled hundreds of flights daily across major cities, including Atlanta and New York. Statistics from aviation data firm Cirium showed that American canceled more than 420 flights on Saturday, accounting for over 7% of its schedule. Delta and United similarly reduced their flights significantly.
Despite the challenges, airlines managed to limit passenger impact. Many travelers could be rebooked quickly, thanks to the lower demand typical for early November. United reported that around half of its affected customers flew on new flights within four hours.
While airlines cut routes, they focused on less popular regional flights. For example, American canceled only about 2% of its overall passengers on a day it reduced more than 5% of its schedule. They often outsourced these regional flights, impacting operators like SkyWest and Republic, but the restructuring was generally managed well.
Despite the chaos, most routes maintained some service through the weekend. Airlines worked hard to ensure minimal disruption, allowing travelers to change flights or get refunds even on nonrefundable tickets.
Some passengers, however, began exploring alternatives. Social media buzz suggested that many considered renting cars or taking buses instead of flying, as uncertainty loomed.
Airlines are no strangers to flight cancellations due to various issues, including bad weather and staffing. Experts noted, however, that with the holiday season approaching, complications would likely escalate. Fitch Ratings highlighted that Thanksgiving travel would leave little room for airlines to reschedule displaced passengers, likely increasing costs and impacting customer satisfaction.
According to industry reports, more than 3.5 million passengers have faced delays or cancellations since the start of the government shutdown. Airlines for America, a trade group, called for urgent action from Congress to resolve the shutdown and restore normal operations. They project that around 31 million people will travel during the busy Thanksgiving period.
The FAA stated the flight cuts were necessary for safety, especially as controllers have faced immense pressure without pay for over a month. While some lawmakers questioned the decision, others supported it, considering it a necessary safety measure.
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, emphasized safety over all else. “Pressures are building in the system,” she remarked, urging the right steps for a secure aviation environment.
As the story unfolds, travelers and airlines alike brace for the strain of the upcoming holiday travel traffic, highlighting the ongoing challenges within the industry.
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Trump, Donald J,Shutdowns (Institutional),Senate,House of Representatives,Food Stamps
