United States The Federal Aviation Administration plans to cut flights at 40 high-traffic airports by 10% Friday morning if Congress fails to reopen the federal government by then, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Chief Bryan Bedford said Wednesday.
The announcement comes days after the U.S. agency said it was facing a widespread shortage of air traffic controllers at half of the nation’s 30 busiest airports and hours-long security queues caused by the absence of Transportation Security Administration agents. Federal employees have now gone 35 days without pay, amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Which flights could be canceled and where “is based on data,” Duffy said Wednesday. “This is based on the question: Where is the pressure and how can we alleviate it?
When passengers fly, “they will arrive at their destination safely, because we have done our job,” Mr. Duffy said.
The FAA did not immediately respond to WIRED’s questions, and it is unclear whether the flight reduction will affect only commercial airlines or also cargo and private flights. A 10 percent reduction in scheduled commercial flights at 40 airports could result in the cancellation of 4,000 to 5,000 flights per day.
For airlines and travelers, a sudden interruption of flights will likely cause serious logistical problems. Duffy warned earlier this week of “massive chaos” in air travel if the shutdown continues.
But airlines have some experience dealing with sudden flight reductions due to staffing problems, says Michael McCormick, a former FAA official who now directs the air traffic management program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
In spring 2023, during another period of air traffic controller shortages, the FAA allowed airlines to reduce capacity at New York area airports. (Such reductions typically require airlines to waive takeoff or landing rights; the FAA temporarily waived this penalty.) In response, airline planners were able to quickly “upgrade,” compensating for the reduction in flights by replacing smaller planes with larger ones. In this way, the reduction in flights has not necessarily reduced the overall number of passengers traveling.
If the FAA follows through on Friday, airlines will likely be able to implement a similar evaluation process, McCormick said. Even though flights will be canceled and passengers displaced, this could mean that many will still be able to reach their destinations. The move could actually give airlines more time to prepare.
“In the current state, it is unpredictable which airports will be affected tomorrow,” he said. “It restores some predictability.”
