The United States is facing a serious situation Air transport crisis Because of driver shortage caused by Federal government shutdown extendedThis Sunday marks 40 days, and we have already had to cancel more events. 2,200 flightsaccording to data from the FlightAware platform.
Staff shortages affect the busiest airports, causing long delays and putting operations at risk during peak travel seasons.
of Federal Aviation Administration The FAA reported this Sunday that a total of 2,225 flights were canceled and more than 7,500 flights were delayed in the past 24 hours.
The most affected devices are: hartsfield jackson of atlanta, chicago o’hare, laguardia, newarkand other key points in the domestic aviation connectivity network. airlines like Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, Republic Airlines We reported a major disruption to our operations.
Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffywarned about the dimensions of the problem and warned that the situation could worsen if the “shutdown” continues, especially as the holidays approach. thanksgiving.
“While everyone is trying to travel to see family, air traffic will be down just a little bit.“Duffy declared this in a conversation with him.” fox news sunday. He highlighted that many radio towers and radar centers are operating with less than half of their required staffing and that turnover continues to increase.
The limit was exceeded on Friday and Saturday, when an orderly reduction in air traffic was already in place. Thousands of flights canceled per day. Another 1,000 cancellations are already expected on Sunday night, an unusually high number industry experts say.
The FAA assured that these reductions due to the controller shortage are already having an impact. 4% of flights in 40 terminalsHe warned that the rate could reach 10% if Congress fails to lift the block on federal funding.
The organization reported that it would consider raising staff if the talent crisis worsens. Reduce operations to 20% before the weekend.
“Controller turnover is increasing…If the situation is not contained by Tuesday, we expect it to get even worse,” Duffy said.
Most of those affected are passengers of large airports in the northeast and central regions of the country. Air traffic control centers are in a critical situation, with more than 15 air traffic control centers reporting severe staff shortages. New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, Nashville, Dallas. Delays of more than two hours and high levels of anxiety among passengers have been recorded at these times.
Even though air traffic controllers are considered essential workers, they do not receive pay during the shutdown. Dissatisfaction led to some layoffs. Number of employees: 2,000those who claimed medical, stress, or family reasons. Meanwhile, hundreds of agents endure long hours and are forced to work overtime to maintain a minimum level of service.
The airline reported that it will notify passengers if a flight is canceled, but advised travelers to always check their application and tracking pages to avoid arriving at the airport before receiving confirmation.
he Ministry of Transport We guarantee that the User can claim a refund for canceled tickets, but we do not guarantee any other additional costs such as accommodation or meals.
Industry spokesmen warned that even if Congress agrees to reopen government agencies, it could take days to get back to normal.
“It will take some time to fully restore the system,” said Michael Johnson, president of the Ensemble Travel Association.
Meanwhile, the Senate is convening a special session to negotiate a budget deal and prevent further paralysis of domestic travel, especially on the eve of the big Thanksgiving weekend when millions of dollars in passenger flows are expected.
(Information via EFE and Associated Press)
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