EPA/ShutterstockFlight delays and cancellations continue to cripple US air travel for a third day, as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that air traffic will “reduce to a trickle” if the US government shutdown continues.
About 1,400 flights to, from or within the U.S. were canceled and 2,700 delayed Sunday morning, according to flight tracker FlightAware. The longest delays were in Newark, New Jersey: more than two hours on average.
In a hopeful sign, lawmakers are working on a possible deal to reach a compromise on government funding and end the shutdown, according to US media reports.
The Senate was scheduled to meet Sunday in a rare weekend session.
Duffy warned that the impacts on air travel will be dire if the stalemate is not broken soon.
“We will see air travel slow to a trickle,” he told CNN on Sunday. He added that travelers trying to fly home for the Thanksgiving holiday later this month may not be able to get there.
“A lot of them won’t be able to get on a plane, because there won’t be as many flights if this doesn’t reopen,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced last week that it would reduce air travel capacity by up to 6% this weekend and 10% next weekend at 40 of the country’s busiest airports. The cuts do not apply to international flights, but some airlines may choose to cancel some of those flights as well, the FAA said.
Air traffic controllers, who are not paid during the shutdown, are reportedly fatigued and not coming to work, causing reductions in air traffic assignments.
Duffy said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered to have military air traffic controllers step in to help, but he declined the offer because they are not certified to direct air traffic at civilian airports.
In total, hundreds of thousands of federal workers have not been paid since the government ran out of money on October 1. Food assistance for low-income Americans has also been in limbo, with the administration agreeing to pay only half of monthly benefits.
Sunday marked 40 days of the longest shutdown in history, as Republicans and Democrats have yet to reach an agreement on a funding resolution to reopen the government.
Republicans and Democrats have blamed each other for causing gridlock and travel disruptions.
Democrats have refused to back any Republican spending plan unless it includes money for health insurance subsidies, while Republicans want to provide funding without anything else.
President Donald Trump suggested over the weekend that money should be sent directly to Americans to buy health insurance, rather than to insurance companies.
Republican senators are working on a compromise package that could end the impasse with a vote to advance the legislation possibly coming as early as Sunday.
