The Federal Aviation Administration announced yesterday that it will reduce air traffic by 10-percent at 40 high-volume airports starting tomorrow morning due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the cut would affect about 3,500 to 4,000 flights daily and is needed to keep the airspace safe as the country faces a shortage of 2,000 to 3,000 air traffic controllers. The controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown began on October 1st, now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Some controllers are calling in sick or taking second jobs to make ends meet, and they will miss their second full paycheck next week.
The FAA manages more than 44-thousand flights daily, including commercial passenger flights, cargo planes, and private aircraft. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency wants to be proactive rather than wait for a crisis, pointing to the deadly mid-air collision in January near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Bedford said the agency cannot ignore early warning signs and needs to take action before safety gets worse. The specific airports affected will be announced today; airlines were notified about the plan just an hour before the public announcement. Bedford said the new measures would also include restrictions on space launches and small aircraft traffic in certain markets.
Airlines for America, the industry trade group, said it is working to understand the details and will try to reduce the impacts on passengers. Southwest Airlines said it is evaluating potential impacts and will contact affected customers. Duffy said the reductions are unfortunate but necessary to maintain safety, and Bedford noted he could not recall a similar situation in his 35 years working in aviation. If staffing pressures continue to build even after these measures, Bedford said the agency will take additional steps.
Source: CNBC