US to reduce flights 10% by Friday, as transportation chief warns 'it's only going to get worse'
Air traffic controller shortages worsen as retirements surge during government shutdown, says Sean Duffy
American Airlines plane is seen in Washington D.C., United States
ISTANBUL
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday that flight disruptions will worsen as the government shutdown forces progressive flight reductions to 10% by Friday, leaving thousands of Americans unable to visit their families for the holidays.
"It's only going to get worse," Duffy told CNN, noting that 18 of 22 controllers in Atlanta did not show up for work on Saturday, and 81 staffing triggers occurred throughout the nation.
The FAA-mandated cuts started at 4% this weekend and led to more than 2,000 flight cancellations from Friday through Sunday. The cut rate will rise to 6% by Tuesday 11, 8% by Thursday 13, and 10% by Friday.
Asked how many Americans will miss holiday gatherings, Duffy said, "The number is going to be substantial," adding: "Many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights."
Retirement surge
Duffy underlined a worsening controller shortage, saying he is "about 1,000 to 2,000 controllers short" while retirements have surged from four per day before the shutdown to "15 to 20 a day."
"This is going to live on in air travel well beyond the timeframe that this government opens back up," said Duffy.
Regarding safety, Duffy said authorities are "working overtime" to maintain security by slowing traffic and implementing delays when staffing triggers occur, though he urged Congress to "vote to open up the government ... to get America back operational."
The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, has halted pay for federal employees, including air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers, who remain on duty without pay.
The shutdown became the longest in US history, hitting 40 days, with no resolution in sight as Republicans and Democrats in the Senate remain deadlocked on restoring funding to closed federal agencies.
It surpassed the previous record of 35 days set during Trump’s first term between December 2018 and January 2019 after the upper chamber rejected a House-passed Republican funding bill for a 14th time to end the shutdown Tuesday.
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