Air travel disruptions persist as government shutdown nears end, with officials warning that cancellations and delays may continue even after the shutdown comes to a close.
According to data from FlightAware, over 900 US flights had been canceled by Wednesday evening, while another 2,203 were delayed - although not all of these delays were due to staffing shortages. Air traffic control towers reported only four staffing triggers on Wednesday, a significant improvement from Saturday's figure of 81.
However, reversing the flight cuts that have been implemented during the shutdown will not be an immediate process. The FAA and Department of Transportation officials will review data on pilot complaints, close calls between planes, and runway incursions before making any changes to the current system.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed confidence that airline operations would normalize shortly after the end of the shutdown, with 2,500 cancellations in recent days having a significant impact on his company. "We're going to be OK for Thanksgiving," he said. "We got to get the vote done, and so we're counting on Congress doing their job and making that happen."
Despite these assurances, flyers are still anxious about travel plans, with one passenger saying "We're just hoping and praying for the best." The FAA safety team has welcomed the surge in air traffic controller staffing, but emphasized that the safety of the American people will always come first.
When the government reopens, airlines may need to gradually revert to normal operations. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy explained that this would be a phased process, with officials reviewing data before making any changes to the current system. The priority remains ensuring public safety, and any reversals of flight cuts will be guided by this principle.
According to data from FlightAware, over 900 US flights had been canceled by Wednesday evening, while another 2,203 were delayed - although not all of these delays were due to staffing shortages. Air traffic control towers reported only four staffing triggers on Wednesday, a significant improvement from Saturday's figure of 81.
However, reversing the flight cuts that have been implemented during the shutdown will not be an immediate process. The FAA and Department of Transportation officials will review data on pilot complaints, close calls between planes, and runway incursions before making any changes to the current system.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed confidence that airline operations would normalize shortly after the end of the shutdown, with 2,500 cancellations in recent days having a significant impact on his company. "We're going to be OK for Thanksgiving," he said. "We got to get the vote done, and so we're counting on Congress doing their job and making that happen."
Despite these assurances, flyers are still anxious about travel plans, with one passenger saying "We're just hoping and praying for the best." The FAA safety team has welcomed the surge in air traffic controller staffing, but emphasized that the safety of the American people will always come first.
When the government reopens, airlines may need to gradually revert to normal operations. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy explained that this would be a phased process, with officials reviewing data before making any changes to the current system. The priority remains ensuring public safety, and any reversals of flight cuts will be guided by this principle.
like seriously 900+ flights canceled already? that's just wild. i'm so with delta ceo ed bastian on this tho, i mean, we need to get the vote done first and then hope for the best 
. but honestly, it's super scary not knowing what's gonna happen when the government reopens. like, what if they don't get it together? 
i just wanna be able to plan my trip without worrying about flight cancellations all day long. can we pls just have a smooth ride back to normalcy already? 
. And can we talk about how airlines are already counting on everything going smoothly after the shutdown? Like, 2,500 cancellations in recent days? That must be tough on passengers 
.
And what about all those pilots who are out of practice? It's going to take time, and probably a lot more than just a phased process. We should be prepared for some serious disruptions when the government opens back up...
?? like i get it government shutdown but come on! 
and the delays r getting ridiculous too, 2,203 and counting 
i mean we need to prioritize public safety but also, airlines r not exactly swimming in staff right now 
Flight disruptions are getting outta hand 
️! Did you see those 900+ cancelled flights on Wednesday? 
That's like a whole day of travel plans gone wrong. And don't even get me started on the delays... 2,203 and counting! 
. Only 4 triggers on Wednesday compared to 81 just a few days ago? That's like night and day! 
. After all, it's going to take some time for them to review data and make changes.
Let me know in the comments below! 
. it's all about balance, ya know? prioritizin' safety over convenience or whatever 
. it's like, we're all in this together 'n we need to be patient with each other 'n the process 
.
! Even with staffing shortages, delays are way down from Saturday. I think we should be concerned about how long it takes to reverse those flight cuts and whether they'll really "review data" before making any changes.
... but only if it means we won't be seeing more close calls between planes and stuff. 
. I don't know about Delta CEO's confidence, but I think most of us are just hoping for a smooth ride when it comes back to normal 
. And yeah, safety always comes first - that's good to hear from the FAA team 
. But still, 2k+ flights? That's a lot... what if they're not just random delays? 
It's not like people have plans for Thanksgiving or anything. And yeah, because getting the vote done was really the only thing holding back all these air traffic controllers from showing up on time 
.
I mean, I'm sure the airlines are just thrilled to have a 2,500-flap-crazy day ahead of them. And don't even get me started on the staffing issues - talk about a 'plane' crew crisis! 
?