America’s aviation system is straining under the weight of the longest government shutdown on record: thousands of flight cancellations, long delays at major airports and frustrated travelers nationwide.
In an unprecedented move, the Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered airlines to scale back domestic flight schedules, saying the cuts are meant to ease pressure on an overstretched system and help manage air traffic control staffing.
Unpaid for more than a month, some air traffic controllers have begun calling out of work, citing stress and the need to take on second jobs — leaving more control towers and facilities short-staffed.
The numbers show the shutdown’s toll on air travel:
40
Major U.S. airports where all commercial airlines have been required to cancel flights since Nov. 7 under the FAA’s orders. The list spans more than two dozen states and includes large hubs such as New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Chicago.
12
Airports on the FAA’s list of 40 where the agency also expanded restrictions to limit business jets and many private flights.
4%
The initial reduction in flight schedules ordered by the FAA.
10%
The FAA’s ultimate flight cut target, which is expected to take effect Friday. The agency has said the restrictions will remain in place until staffing in its air traffic control facilities stabilizes and safety measurements improve, even if the shutdown ends before Friday.
1.9 million
Daily passengers who use the 40 airports where flights have been reduced, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
5.2 million
Passengers who have been affected by staffing-related delays or cancellations since the government shutdown began on Oct. 1, according to Airlines for America. The industry trade group represents Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue.
10,100
Flights canceled between Nov. 7, the first day of the FAA-required cuts, and late Wednesday afternoon, according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.
30
The average number of air traffic control facilities where the FAA warned of potential staffing issues during the six weekends since the shutdown began. That is almost four times the number on weekends this year before the shutdown, according to an Associated Press analysis of operations plans sent through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center system.
$10,000
How much President Donald Trump suggested air traffic controllers should receive as a bonus if they didn’t miss any days of work during the shutdown. Trump also threatened docking pay for those who haven’t stayed on the job.
$285 million to $580 million
The daily U.S. economic impact once the FAA’s 10% cuts take effect, according to Airlines for America, which said its estimate factors in reduced visitor spending, state and local tax revenue and spending across the broader economy.
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Associated Press journalist Christopher L. Keller contributed from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Rio Yamat, The Associated Press
