US airlines cancel 1,200 flights on Nov 11 as shutdown continues

WASHINGTON - Airlines cancelled 1,200 flights on Nov 11 as air traffic control staffing improved significantly ahead of an expected end to a record-setting government shutdown as soon as Nov 12.

After airlines cancelled 2,400 flights and delayed 9,600
on Nov 10, airlines delayed just 1,700 on Nov 11, the best performance for the industry in recent days.

Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instructed airlines to cut 4 per cent of daily flights, starting on Nov 7, at 40 major airports because of air traffic control staffing issues.

Reductions in flights rose to 6 per cent on Nov 11.

Flight reductions were set to hit 8 per cent on Nov 13, and 10 per cent on Nov 14.

Airlines and the FAA are in discussions about when and how the cuts will be reduced and eventually eliminated as a record-setting 42-day government shutdown nears an end
.

On Nov 10, US President Donald Trump threatened to dock the pay of any controller who did not return to work and would welcome the resignations of workers who were not diligent in showing up for work.

Some airlines are holding off on cutting 8 per cent of flights for Nov 13. United Airlines said on Nov 11 that it has cut about 5 per cent of flights for Nov 13.

Several options are being discussed for how the FAA might end or shrink the flight cuts, sources told Reuters.

Air traffic control staffing shortages improved dramatically on Nov 11 after more than two dozen issues on Nov 10.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said just four staffing issues were reported on Nov 10, down from 81 on Nov 8.

Mr Duffy said at a press conference at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport that he will reduce flight cuts as safety allows.

“When that data changes, we’re going to start taking that down from 6 per cent, maybe we’ll go to four, two, and get back to normal air travel,” Mr Duffy said. “It depends on controllers coming back to work.”

On the night of Nov 10, the Senate voted to approve legislation to end the shutdown and fund the government through Jan 30.

The House is set to take it up on Nov 12.

Mr Duffy said that if the House did not approve the Bill, flight disruptions could skyrocket this weekend and some major airlines might not keep flying. “That’s how serious this is,” he added.

Air traffic absences have led to tens of thousands of flight cancellations and delays since Oct 1 when the shutdown began.

At the weekend, 1.2 million passengers were delayed or had their flight cancellations due to air traffic controller absences.

The shutdown – the longest in US history – has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels. Many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks, even before the shutdown. REUTERS