US airlines yesterday were scrambling to rejig schedules and fielding a flood of customer queries after the US ordered flight cuts at some of the nation’s busiest airports, the latest travel disruption from the prolonged government shutdown.
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy on Wednesday said that he would order steep cuts, citing air traffic control safety risks from the government shutdown.
The shutdown, now the longest in US history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners to work without pay.
Photo: EPA
Staffing shortages have already caused tens of thousands of flight delays nationwide, with airlines estimating that at least 3.2 million travelers have been affected.
Industry sources said the first round of reductions, cutting about 4 percent of scheduled flights, would take effect as soon as today.
The cuts would rise to 5 percent tomorrow, 6 percent on Sunday and reach as much as 10 percent by next week if the shutdown persists.
“This is a fluid situation, but we believe the impact is more manageable than headlines imply,” TD Cowen’s Tom Fitzgerald said, adding that the timing of the shutdown’s end remains the key swing factor.
Unless the government reopens, the drastic plan threatens to throw holiday plans into chaos for millions of Americans traveling for Thanksgiving, marking one of the most visible ripple effects yet from the record-long government shutdown.
“They [the airlines might] have some flexibility on prices, but if this shutdown goes on much longer, then that should have a negative effect overall,” Trade Nation senior market analyst David Morrison said.
Airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines and Southwest were inundated with passenger queries on social media platforms such as X, as flyers sought clarity on travel plans.
“Please, you and your fellow airlines — for Thanksgiving week — issue all cancellations at least a week in advance,” one X user urged in response to United’s post outlining flight reductions. “Don’t make people wait to find out if they can fly home for the holiday.”
The US Federal Aviation Administration is expected to formally issue the order for flight reductions later in the day.
The move aims to ease pressure on controllers, with the agency short about 3,500 staff and many working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.
Still, carriers stressed they would try to minimize disruption for customers and rebooking efforts were under way.
United CEO Scott Kirby said the airline would target its cuts on regional flying and non-hub domestic routes, and the carrier expects to rebook many affected travelers.
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