US: Flight Cancellations Due to Shutdown

Hundreds of flights have been canceled at US airports due to the ongoing government shutdown. Authorities have been forced to restrict flights due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.

The Trump administration reduced air traffic as a safety measure, as control tower staff have been working unpaid for over five weeks. Elvira Bucci expressed concerns to AFP, emphasizing that flight cuts are necessary for safety, but the situation should not have reached this point.

More than 800 flights have been canceled, according to FlightAware. The most affected airports are O'Hare in Chicago, Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, Denver, and Fort Worth in Dallas. The Department of Transportation expects further reductions in airport traffic.

Robert Isom, head of American Airlines, told CNBC that the government needs to reopen to avoid flight cancellations. The cancellations mainly affect domestic and regional flights.

The problems are worsening ahead of the weekend and the Thanksgiving holiday. Barry Biffle, head of Frontier, advised passengers to buy second tickets on other airlines due to the risk of cancellations.

Around 14,000 air traffic controllers monitor US skies, serving more than 3 million passengers daily.

Source: APE-MPE