Hundreds of flights were canceled and more than 1,000 delayed on Friday, as the record-breaking government shutdown brought mounting strain to airports across the country, including all three major airports serving New York City.
The Federal Aviation Administration earlier this week ordered airlines to slash 10% of their flights as the shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, leaves air traffic controllers working without pay. It specifically calls for a 4% reduction in operations on Friday, then up to 6% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13, and up to 10% by Nov. 14.
The unprecedented directive, a bid to lessen air traffic and ensure traveler safety, covers 40 “high impact” airports nationwide, including LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport.
As of writing, 824 flights within the US have been canceled and 1,200 more have been delayed, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. New Jersey airports have been the hardest hit so far, with take-offs at Newark Liberty International Airport and Teterboro Airport delayed an average of 30 minutes, the FAA said. Departures at LaGuardia Airport in New York and Miami International Airport are also delayed by about 15 minutes due to “compacted demand” and “volume,” the agency added.
The cancellations so far account for approximately 3% of the 25,400 flights that had been scheduled to depart from East Coast airports on Friday, Cirium, an aviation data firm, told the New York Times. Some of the most affected routes include shuttle flights in the Northeast, trips within Florida and flights between Dallas and smaller regional centers.
The FAA mandate sent airlines scrambling to cut back on flights and slash their schedules this week. The carriers with the most cancellations on Friday were three of the nation’s biggest: American Airlines with 221 flights canceled, United with 184 and Delta with 173.
The government shutdown began on Oct. 1, after Republican and Democratic proposals that would have funded the government failed in the Senate. The Democrat bill included extensions for health care subsidies under the ACA while the Republican bill would have funded the government at current levels until Nov. 1. In the weeks since, there has been little action to suggest either side will budge.
With News Wire Services
