Air travel across the United States faced major turbulence today as more than a thousand flights were canceled after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a reduction in air traffic because of widespread controller shortages brought on by the government shutdown, according to data from FlightAware.
Despite the sweeping cancellations, officials said the slowdown at roughly 40 of the nation’s busiest airports hadn’t yet spiraled into chaos. Still, the ongoing disruptions underscored the growing strain of what has become the longest federal shutdown in U.S. history.
Passengers found themselves stranded or rerouted as airports struggled to keep up. “We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was preparing to fly from Miami to the Dominican Republic to visit her family. “I’m hoping that the government can take care of this.”
Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina saw the most cancellations, with 120 arrivals and departures scrapped by midday — an unusual blow for what is normally a quiet travel day. Other major hubs including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Orlando also saw mounting delays and cancellations.
Airports in Charlotte and Newark reported particularly severe slowdowns due to limited staffing, as the FAA continued grappling with the fallout from a workforce stretched thin by the shutdown’s escalating impact.
{Matzav.com}
