By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to Flight Aware a flight tracking website on Monday reported over 2,000 flights were cancelled and 8,000 delayed nationwide, as the U.S. federal government shutdown entered its 40th day.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated flight reduction policy took effect on Friday, the number of cancelled flights surged from 202 on Thursday to 1,025 on Friday to 1,566 on Saturday.
The number of air traffic controllers taking leave has risen since the shutdown began on Oct. 1, forced many others to work overtime.
U.S. Department of Transportation and the FAA announced a 10% capacity reduction at 40 major airports across the country started Friday, aimed to ease staffing pressures and reduce airspace safety risks.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that “It’s only going to get worse.”
“I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving. You’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle.”
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told news media that if people are not travelling during Thanksgiving, “we really could be looking at a negative quarter for the fourth quarter.”
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