Airports and Airlines Struggle to Recover from Government Shutdown as Holiday Travel Looms.
As the US government shutdown finally came to an end on Wednesday evening, many travelers breathed a sigh of relief. However, while the shutdown may be over, the impact on air travel is expected to linger for several days. With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the Sunday after Thanksgiving being the busiest travel day of the year, scattered delays and cancellations can still be expected.
The cause of these disruptions? Airlines are struggling to get their crews and aircraft back into place after weeks of acute staffing shortages brought on by the shutdown. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously required airlines to cancel flights up to 6 percent in 40 airports, citing safety concerns due to inadequate staffing levels among controllers and security professionals who were missing pay.
While some have questioned whether the prolonged shutdown will deter prospective air traffic controllers from joining the ranks, industry experts warn that the effects of the shutdown will be felt for weeks. Training new workers to become air traffic controllers can take up to two years - or even five years in some cases - and it's unclear when the FAA plans to restart its hiring process.
As a result, federal employees who were furloughed during the shutdown may face an extended wait before receiving their pay. "It'll be hard to get everything up and running quickly," says Tim Kiefer, a former air traffic controller turned professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "But you would have experienced some delays because of weather, equipment issues, or staffing, whether there was a government shutdown or not."
For airlines, the challenges ahead are significant. As Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America, notes in a statement: "Airlines cannot flip a switch and resume normal operations immediately after a vote – there will be residual effects for days." With the holiday travel season in full swing, passengers can expect scattered delays and cancellations, making it essential to check with airlines before embarking on their journey.
As the US government shutdown finally came to an end on Wednesday evening, many travelers breathed a sigh of relief. However, while the shutdown may be over, the impact on air travel is expected to linger for several days. With Thanksgiving just around the corner and the Sunday after Thanksgiving being the busiest travel day of the year, scattered delays and cancellations can still be expected.
The cause of these disruptions? Airlines are struggling to get their crews and aircraft back into place after weeks of acute staffing shortages brought on by the shutdown. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously required airlines to cancel flights up to 6 percent in 40 airports, citing safety concerns due to inadequate staffing levels among controllers and security professionals who were missing pay.
While some have questioned whether the prolonged shutdown will deter prospective air traffic controllers from joining the ranks, industry experts warn that the effects of the shutdown will be felt for weeks. Training new workers to become air traffic controllers can take up to two years - or even five years in some cases - and it's unclear when the FAA plans to restart its hiring process.
As a result, federal employees who were furloughed during the shutdown may face an extended wait before receiving their pay. "It'll be hard to get everything up and running quickly," says Tim Kiefer, a former air traffic controller turned professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "But you would have experienced some delays because of weather, equipment issues, or staffing, whether there was a government shutdown or not."
For airlines, the challenges ahead are significant. As Chris Sununu, president and CEO of Airlines for America, notes in a statement: "Airlines cannot flip a switch and resume normal operations immediately after a vote – there will be residual effects for days." With the holiday travel season in full swing, passengers can expect scattered delays and cancellations, making it essential to check with airlines before embarking on their journey.
i was trying to book a flight for sunday and they were like sorry we can't find anyone to work the gate so yeah good luck getting that flight at all 
anyway i'm kinda surprised that the faa didn't just do some kind of training program or emergency hire thingy to get things back online ASAP 
but idk maybe thats not how it works 
like how are they even supposed to recover from that? airlines r struggling to get back to normal, and now we got this holiday travel thing coming up...i remember when my cousin flew out of LA for thanksgiving 5 years ago, she had a flight cancelled due to weather but still had to pay for the next day's ticket like what even is that?! 
️ ugh, i'm so done w/ these gov't shutdowns 
weeks of staffin' shortages led 2 scattered delays & cancellations during thxksgiving 
but it's not ovah yet 
so i guess u'll still see some delays n cancellations 
airlines r sayin they cant just 'flip a switch' & resume normal ops 
w/ holiday travel in full swing 
check with ur airline b4 u fly, pls! 
. And now we're facing delays and cancellations during the holidays? 
. And hey, maybe this is an opportunity for airlines to get their staffing and systems in order before things get super crazy again 
. Fingers crossed that everything gets back to normal soon! 
fingers crossed everything gets back to normal soon 
we can't even think about exams during the holidays rn but i guess this is one thing more to worry about 
like when is enough enuf?! 
lol dont get me wrong i feel 4 those ppl but also like, wth airlines cant just 'flip a switch' 
or r they even tryin? 
what even is the point of having a government if they can't get things together? 
it's just gonna be one of those holidays where people are stuck at airports or delayed in flight mode 
I'm stuck at home, waiting for my flight to be rescheduled... again 
. Can't airlines just work together with the FAA to get things back on track? 
airlines are strugglin 2 get crewz & planes back online & the faa is worried bout safety cuz there rnt enuf staff 
training new ppl 2 b airtraffic controllers takes ages btw up 2 yrs or even 5 yrs in some cases 
cant believe its gonna take so long 4 ppl 2 get paid again 
anyway, just check w/ ur airline 4 delays & cancellations b4 u fly n stuff 
. The fact that new air traffic controllers take up to 2 years to train 
. Interesting how some industry experts think this will deter new air traffic controllers from joining... but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or bad 
️ and trainin new ppl takes forever like up to 2 yrs 
. Just like how we can't rush through our own recovery process after an illness, the airline industry needs time to adjust and replenish its workforce. Remember, patience is key, especially during holidays when people are eager to connect with loved ones 
.
. anyway, gotta keep an eye on my flights and check with airlines for updates, 'cause delays are still expected