Air travel in the United States could soon “slow to a trickle,” authorities warned on Sunday, as the ongoing federal government shutdown triggered further cancellations and delays, throwing passengers into chaos.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the number of affected flights would continue to rise if the impasse between Democrats and Republicans persisted, particularly as Americans prepare for the busy Thanksgiving holiday later this month.
“It’s only going to get worse,” Duffy said during an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, a Sunday news talk show. “In the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, we’re going to see air travel reduced to a trickle.”
At the same time, the US Senate took the unusual step of convening on Sunday to hold a test vote aimed at ending the shutdown, which has now lasted a record 40 days.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, told reporters that a potential deal to end the shutdown was “coming together,” raising hopes of a possible resolution. The deal is expected to include a budget package with short-term government funding through January.
By Sunday evening, more than 2,300 flights had been cancelled within the United States and to and from the country, with over 8,000 delays, according to data from the FlightAware tracking platform.
Airports particularly affected included the three major New York City airports, Chicago’s O’Hare, and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta. Newark Liberty International Airport, a key hub in the northeast, was among the worst hit, with 27% of outbound flights cancelled and 40% delayed, according to FlightAware data. At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, more than half of all outbound flights were delayed.
Duffy warned that many Americans hoping to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday on November 27 might find themselves unable to board a flight if the shutdown continued, given the already reduced flight schedules.
The Thanksgiving weekend also marks the start of the crucial winter shopping season, on which many retailers depend.
‘People Are Hurting’
Travelers expressed frustration over the situation on social media. One passenger tweeted: “Moral of the story, if you don’t have to travel and have a low patience threshold, don’t fly.”
Sunday marked the third consecutive day of flight reductions at airports across the US, following an order by the Trump administration to scale back services and ease the strain on air traffic controllers, who are working without pay during the shutdown.
“We’re going to see very few air traffic controllers coming to work, which means there will be limited flights taking off and landing,” Duffy told Fox News on Sunday.
Duffy placed the blame for the ongoing crisis on the Democrats, but Senator Adam Schiff, a prominent Democrat from California, hit back, accusing Republicans of rejecting a “reasonable” compromise deal to end the shutdown.
“The result from the Senate Republicans was ‘no,’ from the House Republicans ‘we are staying on vacation,’ and from the president, ‘I’m going out to play golf,'” Schiff said, noting the human toll of the impasse. “That’s where we are while people are hurting.”
The issue of healthcare subsidies has emerged as a key point of contention in the shutdown negotiations. Democrats have refused to vote to reopen the government unless subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, are extended as part of the deal. These subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year.
“I think the proposal we’ve put forward is very reasonable,” Schiff continued on ABC’s This Week. “Let’s extend the ACA for a year, reopen the government, and then we can negotiate a more permanent solution for healthcare.”
Schiff urged Republicans to allow “more time to work on this and reopen the government,” adding that Democrats were prepared to find a compromise despite the ongoing political stalemate.