WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday that it would reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 “high-volume” markets beginning Friday morning to maintain safety during the ongoing government shutdown.
The reduction stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide because the FAA directs more than 44,000 flights daily, including commercial passenger flights, cargo planes and private aircraft.
Air traffic controllers have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1. With some calling out of work, staffing shortages during some shifts have led to flight delays at a number of U.S. airports.
Citing growing staffing pressures, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency would not wait for a crisis to act
“We can’t ignore it,” he said.
Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said they would meet with airline executives later Wednesday to determine how to safely implement the reduction in flights. Until then, both declined to name the affected markets. Bedford said a list would be released sometime Thursday.
“If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures,” Bedford said, “we’ll come back and take additional measures.”
The Associated Press on Wednesday sent requests for comment on the FAA’s decision to major U.S. airlines, including Delta, United and American Airlines.
Southwest Airlines said it was evaluating potential impacts to its schedule and would reach out as soon as possible to customers whose travel plans may be impacted.
“We continue to urge Congress to immediately resolve its impasse and restore the National Airspace System to its full capacity,” the carrier said.
The FAA sometimes slows down or stops flights from taking off toward an airport due to weather conditions or when there aren’t enough controllers and other personnel or facilities are unable to pick up the slack. Last weekend saw some of the worst staffing shortages of the shutdown, which became the longest on record early Wednesday.
From Friday to Sunday evening, at least 39 different air traffic control facilities announced there was some potential for limited staffing, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans sent through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system. The figure, which is likely an undercount, is well above the average for weekends before the shutdown
During weekend periods from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, the average number of airport towers, regional centers that oversee multiple airports and facilities that monitor traffic at higher altitudes announced the potential for staffing issues was 8.3, according to the AP analysis. But during the five weekend periods since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, the average more than tripled to 26.2 facilities.
Most controllers have continued to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown. That leaves little time for a side job to help cover bills, mortgage payments and other expenses unless controllers call out.
Major airlines, aviation unions and the wider travel industry have urged Congress to end the shutdown.
Wednesday’s announcement came on the heels of Duffy warning a day earlier that there could be chaos in the skies next week if the shutdown drags on long enough for air traffic controllers to miss their second full paychecks next Tuesday.
Duffy said the FAA wanted to take a proactive approach instead of reacting after a disaster. He pointed to the deadly mid-air collision in January between a commercial jet and a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
“We learned from that. And so now we look at data, and before it would become an issue, we try to assess the pressure and try to make moves before there could be adverse consequences,” Duffy said. “And that’s what’s happening here today.”
___
Associated Press journalist Christopher L. Keller contributed from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
By MATTHEW DALY, JOSH FUNK and RIO YAMAT
Associated Press
