The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is cutting air traffic by 10 percent at 40 major airports amid the ongoing government shutdown, citing safety reasons.
The FAA did not say which airports would be affected, but FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said a list would be released Thursday.
Bedford said at a news conference Wednesday that the goal is to reduce pressure from the government shutdown, now over a month long, and avoid a disaster as the busy holiday travel season approaches.
“The early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating,” Bedford told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday.
The decrease in air traffic is expected to impact air travel nationwide, as the FAA oversees more than 44,000 daily flights for commercial passenger services, freight hauls, and private aviation, and has already seen an increase in delays during the shutdown.
The decision by the FAA comes as the agency grapples with personnel shortages, as air traffic controller ranks are beleaguered as they work without pay. Some have chosen to abstain from duties and take on a second job, according to the agency, leading to widespread delays across U.S. airports.
Bedford confirmed the agency’s proactive stance.
“We can’t ignore it,” he said at the presser.
Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy unveiled plans to collaborate with airline executives later Wednesday to devise strategies for ensuring the safe continuation of flights.
“If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures,” Bedford said, “we’ll come back and take additional measures.”
Widespread flight delays have already impacted operations at airports across the country, sometimes lasting for hours. The FAA has already slowed or suspended departures whenever controller numbers drop below certain thresholds. Multi-hour delays plagued Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey on Sunday.
At present, more than 13,000 controllers labor without paychecks, amplifying a preexisting deficit of about 3,800 personnel, resulting in mandatory overtime and six-day shifts prior to the shutdown. Concerns are mounting over disrupted holiday travel.
Cirium, a flight analytics service, saw a downturn in air traffic last Thursday.
Earlier this week, Duffy warned of travel chaos should the shutdown persist and air traffic controllers continue to go without pay, and said that his agency was considering closing airspace.
Southwest Airlines said it would promptly notify affected customers, while reiterating pleas for lawmakers to fund and reopen the government.
“We continue to urge Congress to immediately resolve its impasse and restore the National Airspace System to its full capacity,” the carrier said, echoing calls from other industry players.
Duffy recalled a deadly January midair collision in the airspace around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport involving a commercial liner and a military helicopter.
“We learned from that,” Duffy said. “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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
