Air Traffic Crisis: Airlines Forced to Cut Flights Amid FAA Staffing Shortage

Airlines are cancelling over 1,000 flights daily due to enforced reductions prompted by FAA staffing issues amid a record-setting government shutdown. The FAA has mandated a 4% reduction in daily flights, escalating to 10% on Friday. Discussions continue on how to resolve the situation.

Airlines are experiencing a crisis as over 1,200 flights were canceled on Tuesday, marking the fifth day of over 1,000 cancellations. This follows a government-mandated reduction in flights to tackle safety concerns arising from air traffic control staffing shortages.

The Federal Aviation Administration had initially ordered airlines to cut 4% of their daily operations, escalating the reductions to 6% on Tuesday. With expectations that the cuts would rise to 10% by Friday, the FAA and airlines are in talks to determine when normal operations can resume amid an ongoing government shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the FAA's decisions on flight cuts will be data-driven. Meanwhile, the government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, has 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA agents working without pay, exacerbating the situation further.

(With inputs from agencies.)