US officials said that starting on November 7, flight operations in the country's 40 highest air traffic areas will be cut by 10%, as the longest federal government shutdown in history continues to put strain on personnel and disrupt aviation operations nationwide.
From November 7, there will be a 10% reduction in operating capacity in our 40 areas, US Secretary of Transport Sean Duffy said at a press conference on November 5.
According to Director of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Bryan Bedford, the move is aimed at maintaining safety in the context of an unprecedented shortage of air traffic control personnel.
Bedford warned that if the situation deteriorated, we would be forced to take other measures.
Unpaid inspectors have been working unpaid since the government closed on October 1. In recent days, more and more people have asked for leave, causing airports across the US to fall into serious flight delays.
The FAA said the cuts would affect thousands of flights, while it coordinates an average of more than 44,000 flights per day.
Duffy and Bedford are expected to meet with airline leaders to discuss how to safely implement the cuts, but have not yet released a list of 40 affected areas until completion on November 6.
According to the FAA, at least 39 air control facilities nationwide have recorded a shortage of personnel.
Major airlines, aviation unions and the tourism industry all called on the National Assembly to end this situation, warning of increasing risks to flight safety and the economy.
Minister Duffy said that the decision to reduce flights was made to proactively respond and learn from the collision between the two aircraft in January near Washington D.C. "We have learned from that" - he noted: "Before the situation goes beyond control, we need to take action to avoid serious consequences".
The current closure has become the longest in US history, surpassing the previous record on the night of November 4. The Senate has yet to pass a bill to reopen the government after 14 failures.
