The Federal Aviation Administration will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 major markets starting on Friday morning due to staffing shortages from the ongoing government shutdown. The reduction is expected to affect thousands of flights nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration manages about 44,000 flights each day, including commercial, cargo, and private aircraft. United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said “the airline will focus their schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between hubs,” while keeping long-haul international and hub-to-hub routes unchanged. Customers will receive updates through the airline’s app, website, and push notifications, and refunds will be available to all travelers, according to Click2Houston.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport are among the airports affected by the upcoming air traffic reductions. The Houston Airports system, which oversees both airports, said in a statement that “Houston Airports is aware of the comments made this afternoon by the U.S. Transportation Secretary,” as reported by KHOU. The group added that it is working with airline and federal partners to support operations as needed.
The ongoing government shutdown has affected the aviation workforce, with TSA agents and air traffic controllers working without pay for over a month. Some have stopped reporting to work or found other jobs, causing delays at airports. Over the weekend, travelers at Bush Airport faced security wait times of more than four hours, and on Thursday, waits are expected to reach up to 75 minutes at Bush and 45 minutes at Hobby Airport. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy plan to meet with airline leaders to discuss safe reduction plans. Major airports such as LAX and Chicago O’Hare are also expected to be affected. Cirium reported that the shutdown has led to a slowdown in the nation’s aviation system and more staff-related disruptions.
