As of Tuesday, more than 1,100 flights had been canceled, and more than 540 had been delayed
Air travelers should expect worsening cancellations and delays this week even if the US government shutdown ends, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rolled out deeper cuts to flights at 40 of the nation’s major airports Tuesday, officials said.
The FAA ordered domestic airlines last week to drop 4% of their flights at the airports in question, saying absences and signs of stress among traffic controllers made it imperative to act in the name of public safety. After already canceling more than 7,900 since Friday, the goal for cutting flights is set to rise to 6% on Tuesday – and again to 10% on Friday.
Monday saw airlines scrap over 2,300 flights and more than 1,000 flights set for takeoff Tuesday, all due to the restrictions. Though it was unclear exactly how many additional flights would need to be canceled Tuesday, with the average cancellation rate over the last several days already exceeding the FAA’s requirement, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. By about 5am ET Tuesday, more than 1,100 flights had been canceled, and more than 540 had been delayed.
The FAA on Monday had also expanded its flight restrictions, barring business jets and many private flights from using a dozen airports already under commercial flight limits.
