FAA Flight Cuts Won’t Lift Immediately With End of Shutdown.

 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to cut flights even as the government shutdown comes to an end.

More than 9,000 flights have been canceled across the United States since the FAA ordered flight cuts last week to match the dwindling staffing of air traffic controllers due to the government shutdown.

Control towers have been short-staffed since the start of the shutdown, but cancellations won’t stop immediately, even when the government reopens.

Vague Timeline for Restoration

The FAA, led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, has said that the easing of flight restrictions will be decided by real-time information with safety as the top priority.

According to Duffy’s remarks sent to The Epoch Times in an emailed statement, the administration will continue to reduce flight volumes until “the metrics start to move in the right direction.”

“We’re going to use data; the data will dictate what we do. If the data goes in the wrong direction, could you see additional restrictions? Yes. If the data goes in the right direction, we will roll this back. It’s going to be data-driven, safety-driven.”

The agency said that the specific items it is observing to guide decision-making include reports from pilots on controller responsiveness and apparent stress levels, as well as data surrounding ground incidents.

Around 1,900 domestic flights were canceled on Nov. 11, but as of late afternoon on Nov. 12, that figure was only around 1,300.

Why the Reductions Were Made

The FAA made the decision last week to reduce domestic flights in an effort to lighten the load on already strained controllers and promote air travel safety. 

The additional stress on controllers during the shutdown is believed to have driven concern about the safety of continuing flights at the previous levels, according to the FAA, prompting action to decrease domestic travel.

“We looked at data that showed trend lines going in the wrong direction,” Duffy said during a Nov. 11 press briefing. “The primary concern is safety. And when we saw the trend lines going in the wrong direction … we started to implement a plan to reduce flights by 10 percent.”

The reduction in flights started from 4 percent on Saturday, Nov. 8, and was increased by 2 percent to 6 percent as of Nov. 11. The reductions were set to increase to 10 percent in the near future if the shutdown continued. 

The Transportation Department and the FAA said on Nov. 12 that flight reductions would remain at 6 percent moving forward, instead of rising to 10 percent by Friday. The agencies said the FAA’s safety team made the recommendation after a “rapid decline” in air traffic controller callouts.

The 6 percent flight reductions will continue until data determines the air traffic system can safely return to normalcy, the agencies said.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference on Nov. 5 that he was “not aware in my 35-year history in the aviation market, where we’ve had a situation where we’re taking these kinds of measures. We’re in a new territory in terms of government shutdowns.”

Pay for Controllers

The major stressor for air traffic controllers has been the lack of pay they’ve experienced over the 42 days of the government shutdown. 

Already-stressed and overworked air traffic controllers were forced to continue work, and controllers who skipped work exacerbated the FAA’s current 2,000-air traffic-controller shortage. 

Duffy said in the Nov. 11 briefing that he believes controllers will be paid upward of 75 percent of their back pay within two days of the government opening up. 

“In this package to reopen the government, our controllers could be paid within 48 hours of the government opening,” Duffy said. “They'll get a big lump sum of what they’re due, which is helpful. They don’t have to wait another two weeks to be paid.”

The FAA has struggled with staffing for decades, and in August of this year, Bedford said the agency planned to hire 9,000 new controllers by 2028 to pull out of the short-staffed tailspin the agency has experienced since the early 1980s.

Economic Impacts 

In addition to trouble for travelers, there is an expected impact on the economy due to the widespread flight delays and cancellations over the past week.

Prior to the government shutdown, the U.S. Travel Association sent a letter to Congressional leadership about the detrimental impact of a government shutdown on the travel economy and traveling public. 

CEO Geoff Freeman spoke to the dangers, saying, “A shutdown is a wholly preventable blow to America’s travel economy—costing $1 billion every week—and affecting millions of travelers and businesses while placing unnecessary strain on an already overextended federal travel workforce.”

Economic adviser Kevin Hassett said in a Nov. 9 interview on the CBS show “Face the Nation” that, ”Thanksgiving time is one of the hottest times of the year for the economy... and if people aren’t traveling at that moment, then we really could be looking at a negative quarter for the fourth quarter.”

What to Do if You’re Delayed 

Travelers facing domestic air travel have been given guidance on how to prepare for potential delays.

National Business Aviation Association Vice President Heidi Williams said in a webinar shortly after the FAA released the order: “Be aware, plan for alternatives, and anticipate those delays, especially if you are planning to operate into one of those top 40 airports, you can anticipate a reduction in the normal arrival rate into that airport. The name of the game is planning ahead, being aware, and planning for alternatives.”

The Epoch Times has a full list of the 40 airports impacted by the FAA’s reduction order.

The FAA has reminded travelers to check its webpage to monitor airports and active advisories, ground delays, ground stops, and airport closures. 

Airlines will rebook travelers on a later flight at no additional charge if their flight is canceled, but it’s important to reach out as soon as possible. 

United, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines all said they will offer refunds to any passengers who decide not to fly for any reason, even if they purchased a non-refundable ticket. You are also entitled to a refund if the airline significantly delays your flight and you no longer wish to travel. 

In addition to your ticket value, you’re also entitled to refunds for any bag fees, seat upgrades, or extras you paid for but did not get to use.