U.S. officials announced that the scheduled capacity for flights would be reduced by 10 percent in 40 busy air traffic control areas nationwide on Friday as the government shutdown continues to be the longest in history.
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| Source: Pixabay |
Since Congress failed to approve funding past September 30, federal agencies have been grinding to a halt, leaving some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park rangers, on enforced leave or working without pay.
"There will be a 10 percent reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a White House press briefing on Wednesday. He added that the cuts would take effect on Friday.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chief Bryan Bedford said the cuts would affect "40 high-traffic market areas."
According to a proposed list provided to CBS News, some of the nation's busiest airports, including those in Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York City, could be affected.
AFP contacted the Department of Transportation and the FAA for details on which airports would be affected.
On Wednesday, the government shutdown became the longest in history, surpassing the 35-day record set during President Donald Trump’s first term.
A major factor in Trump bringing an end to the 2019 shutdown was airport workers calling in sick rather than working without pay, which led to significant delays.
Currently, more than 60,000 air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers are working without pay. The White House has warned that increased absenteeism could cause chaos at check-in lines.
In late October, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that five percent of flight delays were the result of staffing shortages, but that number has now increased to more than 50 percent.
At the time, he warned that "the longer the shutdown goes on, and as fewer air traffic controllers show up to work, the safety of the American people is thrown further into jeopardy."
However, both Democrats and Republicans have remained unwavering on the main sticking point of the shutdown: health care spending.
Democrats say they will only vote to end the funding lapse after a deal is struck to extend expiring insurance subsidies that make health care affordable for millions of Americans.
Republicans, on the other hand, insist that they will only address health care once Democrats have voted to reopen the government.
Trump has tried to put pressure on Democrats by threatening to lay off federal workers and using the shutdown to target progressive priorities.
On Tuesday, he reiterated his administration’s threat to cut off a vital aid program that helps 42 million Americans pay for groceries, a move that was previously blocked by two courts.
The White House later clarified that it is "fully complying" with its legal obligations and working to distribute partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments "as much as we can and as quickly as we can."
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