A shortage of air traffic controllers on Monday caused widespread flight delays at airports across the country; More than a dozen major hubs suffered triple-digit flight disruptions.
Key data
According to FlightAware, as of 3:15 p.m. EST on Monday, more than 6,000 flight delays had accumulated.
Sixteen U.S. airports had accumulated more than 100 departure delays by mid-afternoon, led by Chicago O’Hare (364), New York’s LaGuardia (270), Phoenix Sky Harbor (246) and Las Vegas’ Harry Reid (214).
The Federal Aviation Administration’s latest air traffic control advisory, issued at 1:45 p.m. EST, listed staffing alerts indicating insufficient staffing at 14 air traffic control facilities responsible for guiding arrivals and departures or monitoring high-altitude flight paths.
On Monday morning, President Donald Trump told unpaid air traffic controllers to “get back to work, NOW!” or leave the profession.
Air traffic controllers will not receive their second paycheck on Tuesday.
Find out: US orders reduction of flights at airports due to government closure
What’s behind all the flight delays?
As the government shutdown continues, the FAA has seen a significant increase in air traffic controller absences. Between 20% and 40% of controllers do not show up to work daily during the shutdown, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said last week. Additionally, between 15 and 20 drivers are retiring each day, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Staffing shortages have forced the FAA to reduce flights by 10% at 40 major US airports, and Duffy warned that cuts could reach up to 20% if the shutdown extends through Thanksgiving.
How has the closure affected travelers?
Since the government shutdown began, travelers have experienced longer lines at airport security checkpoints and an increase in flight delays. Nearly a third of U.S. travelers (32%) say they have already experienced some impact on their travel due to the government shutdown, according to a Longwoods International travel sentiment survey conducted Nov. 4. Of those, 45% postponed their trip, 31% chose to travel by car instead of by plane and 27% shortened the duration of their trip.
What to observe
It remains to be seen whether the government shutdown will end before the Thanksgiving peak economic activity period. On Sunday night, eight Democratic senators broke ranks with their party and backed a deal to fund the government, drawing criticism for failing to guarantee the extension of health care subsidies.
big number
5.7 billion dollars. That’s the amount the U.S. economy has lost in tourism spending since the lockdown began, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
This article was originally published by Forbes US
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