The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced this Wednesday (5) that it will reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 important airports in the country starting Friday morning (7).
The measure will affect between 3,500 and 4,000 daily flights and comes amid the prolonged shutdown of the federal government, which has lasted 36 days, making it the longest in American history.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy classified the decision as “proactive” to avoid further disruption. However, it is not yet clear which airports will be directly impacted by the reduction.
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FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford warned that other measures may be adopted if the situation does not return to normal, highlighting the growing pressure on the aviation system and the need to maintain operational safety.
The government shutdown has caused delays and cancellations due to lack of pay for air traffic controllers, who, despite being essential employees and required to work, do not receive their salaries.
The FAA also highlighted the shortage of personnel in some units, which has hampered flight operations since the shutdown began on October 1st.
In a recent interview, Duffy even stated that, if the shutdown persists, it could be necessary to “close all airspace”.
The president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Nick Daniels, warned that recovering from the impacts caused by the shutdown could take weeks.
