If the government shutdown persists, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has issued a warning that air travel capacity at 40 major airports might be reduced by up to 10% in the coming days. The chairman of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated at a briefing alongside Duffy that the decision, which is anticipated to only impact domestic flights, was decided because air traffic controllers had been reporting weariness.
Because the US Congress has not approved a federal spending budget, about 1.4 million federal employees, including park wardens and air traffic controllers, are either working unpaid or on forced leave. The decrease in service will have an impact on major airports in Atlanta, New York, and Washington, DC. According to unions, a lot of workers are getting sick from stress or are compelled to work two jobs.
The federal government funding standoff turned into the longest shutdown in US history on Wednesday. Regarding the proposed flight restrictions, FAA chief Bryan Bedford stated, “It is unusual, just as the shutdown is unusual, just as the fact that our controllers haven’t been paid for a month is unusual.” According to the Reuters news agency, which cited four anonymous sources, the flight reductions will be gradual, beginning at 4% of domestic flights on Friday, increasing to 5% on Saturday and 6% on Sunday until reaching the full 10% next week.
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