The record-breaking shutdown still shows no signs of ending, and now the shock is spreading to the airlines. Air traffic controllers and TSA agents have been working for weeks now without pay, and the Trump administration just took measures to “ensure safety”: canceling flights. Have holiday travel plans? You might be better off making the drive.
Shutdown Shock Hits the Friendly Skies
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday, November 6, that 40 airports across the nation would be operating at reduced capacity, effective Friday. Initially, these crucial travel hubs will see a 4% reduction in flights. That will ramp up, however, to 6% by November 11, 8% by the 13th, and 10% by the 14th.
On the list are Reagan and Dulles, Miami International, all three New York-area airports, several in California, and airline hubs O’Hare in Chicago and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta. Already, more than 4,000 flights have been delayed and over 400 canceled. American has grounded 220 flights, United 188, Southwest 100, and Delta 170.
Those numbers were effective Thursday evening and represent the approximate daily cancellations for each airline while at the 4% mark. They’ll grow, of course, with the percentage of reduction.
According to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, these cuts were inspired by the “fatigue” plaguing air traffic controllers. It’s a safety issue: Fewer flights in the air means less potential for mistakes.
The US Department of Transportation reports that travel by bus and train has not been affected so far by the shutdown, but both take considerably longer than just driving and are comparable in price to flying. For those planning to travel for Thanksgiving, this might be the year to either leave early and call it a road trip, or to get together later. For those sticking it out and flying, airports are warning people to arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international, generally speaking, and to understand that their actual wait times could be much longer.
A Gremlin in the Gears
The government has been limping along in this current funding failure for 37 days – now the longest government shutdown in US history. While there is some talk of a potential vote on Friday, November 7, the consensus isn’t one of hope. CBS News reported on Thursday that “sources familiar with the matter” said Senate Republicans are hoping to try a new approach to funding the government on Friday: a vote on the House-passed continuing resolution but amended to include long-term appropriations bills and an extension beyond November 21. They hope this, plus the promise to hold a vote on extending health care subsidies later, will pull the handful of Democrats still needed to get across the 60-vote threshold. However, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reiterated that he would not commit to a vote on the subsidies, turning many Democrats off on the deal. Another option reportedly being considered but unlikely to be adopted is changing the filibuster rules so that a “clean” continuing resolution could be passed with just 51 votes without losing the legislative filibuster entirely – but it has to be clean with no strings attached. None of these solutions seems likely to work in the immediate future. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) predicts it will take a while yet, “at least seven days, and more likely 10,” he told the press, “and very possibly two weeks away from opening up – at the best.”The full list of airports under forced reductions:
