US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that air travel capacity will be cut by up to 10% at 40 major airports over the coming days, if the government shutdown continues.
The decision, which is expected to affect domestic flights only, was made because air traffic controllers had been reporting fatigue, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said at a briefing alongside Duffy.
Some 1.4 million federal workers, from air traffic controllers to park wardens, are working without pay - or are on forced leave - because the US Congress has not agreed on a federal funding budget.
Unions say many employees are becoming ill with stress or are being forced into taking second jobs.
On Wednesday, the impasse became the longest shutdown in US history.
Flight reductions will start at 4% of domestic flights on Friday, rising incrementally to a full 10% by next week. Some of the nation’s busiest hubs, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Chicago O'Hare, and Los Angeles International, are expected to be impacted.
Airlines including American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are assessing the situation and preparing to communicate with customers. Delta Airlines has declined to comment at this time.
The ongoing shutdown has left many essential workers, like air traffic controllers, in a precarious position, forcing them to seek additional income to make ends meet, which could further jeopardize safety in the skies.
