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Tengrinews.kz – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he would close the country’s airspace if authorities determine that air travel has become unsafe due to staff shortages, stating that the government shutdown increases risks to the aviation system, according to Bloomberg.
Because of a lack of funding, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was forced to slow operations at many airports last week, as employees stopped reporting to work.
The FAA reported that on Friday, October 31, half of the 30 busiest facilities were understaffed. Nearly 80 percent of air traffic controllers were absent at facilities serving flights in the New York area. That day, more than 6,200 flights were delayed across the United States, and almost 500 were canceled.
Since the beginning of the shutdown, more than 3.2 million passengers have faced cancellations and delays caused by staff shortages, the Airlines for America trade group said on Monday.
The delays have raised doubts about U.S. airlines’ ability to forecast passenger traffic and remain profitable during the critical holiday travel season, which begins with Thanksgiving later this month.
The U.S. travel industry has already lost over $4 billion due to the shutdown, the U.S. Travel Association reported in a letter to lawmakers on Monday, co-signed by hundreds of other tourism groups and companies.
Earlier, U.S. courts ruled that the Trump administration cannot cancel food stamps due to the shutdown, stating that the government must use reserve funds to continue benefits for low-income Americans.
