Sunday was the third day since restrictions on the number of flights took effect due to staff shortages and was so far the worst day at airports since the shutdown began. According to data from FlightAware, a flight tracking website, almost 2,200 flights were canceled. flights, and over 7 thousand have been delayed.
According to the FAA, the worst situation was at New York airports. At LaGuardia the average flight delay was 2.5 hours and at Newark it was 2 hours 14 minutes. Photos from airports posted by travelers in many cases showed huge queues for ticket check-in and security checks. Many planes also had to wait longer – sometimes for hours – on the runway for their take-off window.
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How many flights have been canceled in the US?
What are the reasons for flight cancellations?
When did air traffic restrictions start?
What are the average delays at New York airports?
The head of the Ministry of Transport, Sean Duffy, announced on Wednesday that air traffic would be reduced by 10%. However, the restrictions are being introduced gradually: on Friday they amounted to 4 percent, and with each subsequent day they will increase by another percent.
He also warned of “mass chaos” resulting from staff shortages. Thousands of federal workers — including air traffic controllers and airport security workers — are working without pay because of the 40-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.
Over the weekend, Republicans in the Senate submitted a new draft of the provisional budget and a partial full-year budget, which may provide a chance to end the political deadlock that has been ongoing since the beginning of October. The first vote on this matter is to take place on Sunday, although even if successful, due to procedural reasons, it will probably take several days to end the shutdown.
