The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Wednesday that it will cut air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets, a move supported by the federal government.
The cutback will begin on Friday and is intended to maintain safety during the ongoing .
The reduction stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide.
Safety concerns
The FAA is currently facing staffing shortages. While some air traffic controllers are not working during the shutdown, others are working unpaid. It has already resulted in mass delays to flights across .
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the shutdown is causing staffing pressures and “we can’t ignore it.”
Bedford and US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said they will meet later on Wednesday with airline leaders to figure out how to safely implement the reduction.
Well over 3 million people suffered delays so far
An airline industry group has estimated that over 3.2 million passengers have already been affected by flight delays or cancellations due to rising air traffic controller absences since the shutdown began on October 1. The shutdown is now the longest in US history.
Airlines said the shutdown has, so far, not significantly affected their business but have warned bookings could drop if it continues for much longer.
More than 2,100 flights were, for instance, disrupted on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that 20% to 40% of air traffic controllers at the agency’s 30 largest airports were not working.
According to the FAA, nearly 13,000 controllers have been working without pay for weeks.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru
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