Airlines warn that flight cancellations will continue even after flight suspension

Flight disruptions that have disrupted air travel for millions in recent weeks could continue even after the government shutdown ends, airlines have warned.

The Senate passed a bill Monday night ending the longest federal government shutdown in history, sending it to the House for a vote.

The vote comes amid a shortage of air traffic controllers who have had to work without regular pay during the shutdown, with thousands of flights delayed or canceled, a problem that has worsened in recent days. Air traffic controllers have not received their second full paycheck due to this week’s shutdown, and some have taken second jobs and are working under increased stress levels, government and union officials said.

But even if the House passes a bill that funds the federal government through January, the airlines’ readjustment will take time.

“Airlines’ reduced flight schedules do not allow them to quickly return to full capacity as soon as the government reopens,” airline lobbying group Airlines for America said. delta airlines, united airlines, american airlines, southwest airlineshe said late Monday. “It will take time and the effects will remain for several days. With the Thanksgiving travel period starting next week and the busy shipping season approaching, now is the time to take action to reduce further impact on Americans.”

Airlines need time to reconfigure schedules and staff planes and crews, but the necessary flight reductions forced them to act quickly last week.

Airlines for America announced that more than 5 million travelers have been affected by airline staffing issues since the shutdown began on October 1st. The disruption has caused some passengers to look for alternatives, from buses to rental cars and even private jets.

Last Friday, the Trump administration began requiring commercial airlines to cut domestic flights by 4% at 40 busy U.S. airports, with even bigger cuts planned if the closures don’t end, as government officials decried the strain on air traffic controllers.

Aviation groups said record numbers of travelers are expected over the Thanksgiving holiday, which is just over two weeks away.

Nearly 5% of the 22,811 flights scheduled to depart the U.S. had been canceled as of Tuesday morning, typically a relatively slow day for travel, according to aviation data firm Cirium. This is down from Monday’s cancellation rate of 8.7% (2,239 flights) and Sunday’s cancellation rate of 2,633 (10.2% of the schedule). Delays were compounded by staff shortages and bad weather at major hub airports such as Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Aviation groups on Tuesday urged lawmakers to not only end the shutdown, but also provide more funding to the Department of Transportation to help modernize air traffic control and hire more controllers, which was in short supply even before the shutdown began.

“The government shutdown has disrupted that effort and slowed the strong momentum we have built towards modernization,” said the Modern Skies coalition, which includes major airlines, airports and aerospace groups. boeing, ge aerospace The same goes for labor unions.

President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to withhold pay for absent air traffic controllers. “All air traffic controllers must get back to work now!!!,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social, adding that he recommended giving a $10,000 bonus to air traffic controllers who did not miss work during the shutdown.

“The job of keeping aviation safe is hard every day, but forcing federal employees to do it without pay is unacceptable,” the Modern Skies Coalition said in a statement. “We owe it to the public servants of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies that support aviation, including the National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Security Administration, and Customs and Border Protection, to quickly end this shutdown.”