Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced airspace restrictions Wednesday as the ongoing federal government shutdown continues to affect the nation’s transportation system.
At a press conference, Duffy outlined what he called additional measures to reduce risks in national airspace.
“One of them, though, is going to be that there is going to be a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations,” he told reporters. The restrictions will go into effect on Friday. It will impact roughly 4,000 flights nationwide. The list of impacted airports will be released on Thursday.
The decision was driven by mounting concerns over staffing shortages and safety risks within the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the broader aviation network.
FLIGHT DELAYS WORSEN AS UNPAID AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FEEL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PAIN
The shutdown entered its 36th day Wednesday, making it the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
The federal government has been closed since Oct. 1, significantly disrupting multiple sectors, including air travel.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ISSUE DESPERATE PLEA AS FAMILIES STRUGGLE WITHOUT PAYCHECKS
Thousands of aviation workers, including air traffic controllers, have continued to report for work without pay, including 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers, per Reuters.
Despite their commitment, staffing levels have dropped, creating increasing pressure on the national airspace system.
On Monday, Duffy warned the Trump administration would shutter the U.S. aviation system if he thought an ongoing government shutdown was making it too risky to travel.
FLIGHT DELAYS WORSEN AS UNPAID AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FEEL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PAIN
Duffy had already warned that if the staffing crisis deepens, the FAA and DOT may be forced to delay or cancel flights or, in extreme cases, close portions of U.S. airspace, per Reuters.
Duffy also spoke Wednesday about the workers and how many are “head of household.”
“They’re the head of household. They have their spouse at home, they have a child or 2 or 3. And when they lose income, they are confronted with real-world, difficulties in how they pay their bills,” he said.
“I do not want them to take side jobs.” he said of the workers, “I want them to show up for work. We have asked them to show up for work. But I’m not naive to, understand that they’re trying that. We have seen staffing pressures throughout our airspace.”
On Oct. 31, the FAA said nearly half of the 30 busiest U.S. airports faced shortages of air traffic controllers. This meant over 6,200 flights were delayed and 500 canceled.
“We are working with the federal government to understand all details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts to passengers and shippers,” Airlines for America said in a statement to FOX Business.
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