Shutdown Hits Record Day 36: FAA to Cut Flights at 40 Busy Airports
On Nov. 5, the federal government shutdown entered its 36th day, surpassing the 35-day record set in 2018-2019 to become the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The shutdown began on Oct. 1, and about 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers have been working without pay, with controllers working six days a week under mandatory overtime; staffing shortages are already straining air operations nationwide.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Nov. 5 that the Federal Aviation Administration will cut flights at 40 busy airports starting Friday, Nov. 6, beginning with a 4% reduction and rising gradually to 10% by Nov. 14, during the hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., covering hubs including Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Orlando. The FAA called the measure unprecedented and said its purpose is to keep the airspace safe amid the staffing shortage. On Nov. 2, controller staffing accounted for 84% of all flight-delay minutes nationwide, compared with a typical 5%; on Nov. 5 alone, 2,133 flights were delayed and 146 canceled across the country.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Senate will vote on Friday on a stopgap funding bill to reopen the government. The core of the two parties' standoff remains health care subsidies: Democrats insist that any funding bill must extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are about to expire, while Republicans argue for passing a continuing resolution first to keep the government funded through Nov. 21 and negotiating the subsidies afterward; the House has been in recess since Sept. 19. Millions of families who rely on federal food assistance have been affected, and the shutdown has frozen many federal services.
(Source: Federal Aviation Administration)
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国联邦航空局总部。（GSM 固定图库） / Photo: Federal Aviation Administration headquarters.
