Bangkok: U.S. airlines are rushing to adjust their flight schedules and respond to calls from travelers after the government ordered 40 major airports to reduce inbound and outbound flights due to the shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered on Wednesday a 10% reduction in flights starting today at 40 major airports, including New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, affecting passenger and cargo flights due to a shortage of air traffic controllers resulting from the federal government shutdown that has been in place since October 1, the longest in the US. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced late last night that airlines must reduce domestic flights by 4 percent per day, starting at 6 a.m. Eastern Time today, which is 12 hours behind Thailand, until Monday, followed by a full 10 percent reduction by November 14. International flights are unaffected by this measure.
According to Thai News Agency, major U.S. airlines are scrambling to adjust their schedules to minimize the impact on crews and passengers after the sudden government measures were announced. American Airlines will cancel 220 flights a day from Friday to Monday, Delta Air Lines will cancel 170 flights on Friday, United Airlines will cancel up to 200 flights from Friday to Monday, and Southwest Airlines will cancel 120 flights on Friday. The airlines' social media accounts are flooded with posts from passengers seeking clarity on their travel plans.
Travel app Hopper reports a nearly 60 percent spike in purchases of its travel assistance services after the government announced flight restrictions, up from a surge since the shutdown began on October 1.
Aviation analyst Cirium estimates the measure will result in up to 1,800 flight cancellations and the loss of 268,000 passenger seats per day. However, the current off-peak travel season allows airlines to adjust passenger bookings by reducing flight frequencies on some routes and using larger aircraft. Analysts expect the revenue impact to be limited, as the shutdown is not expected to end before the Thanksgiving travel season.
The shutdown has left 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 airport security screeners working without pay, with absenteeism rising to 30 percent or more at some airports as many officers take other jobs to make ends meet.