WASHINGTON: US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Friday he could force airlines to cut up to 20 percent of flights if the government shutdown did not end, as US airlines on Friday scrambled to make unprecedented government-imposed reductions.
The Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to cut 4 percent of flights on Friday at 40 major airports because of the government shutdown. The cuts will rise to 10 percent by November 14.
Separately, air traffic controller absences on Friday forced the FAA to delay hundreds of flights at 10 airports including Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Newark. By 7:30 p.m. ET (1130 GMT), there were more than 5,300 flight delays, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website.
At Reagan Washington National, delays were averaging four hours, while 17 percent of flights were canceled and nearly 40 percent delayed.
During the record 38-day government shutdown, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security screeners have been forced to work without pay, leading to increased absenteeism. Many air traffic controllers were notified on Thursday that they would receive no pay for a second pay period next week.
