Day 40 of US shutdown: How air travel is affected and what lies ahead

Washington: As the US federal government shutdown entered its 40th day, more than 2,000 flights were cancelled and over 8,000 delayed across the country, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Since the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) mandated flight reduction policy came into effect on Friday, cancellations have surged sharply, from 202 on Thursday to 1,025 on Friday, and further to 1,586 on Saturday, Xinhua news agency reported.

The number of air traffic controllers taking leave has increased since the shutdown began on October 1, forcing others to work extended hours.

The US Department of Transportation and the FAA recently announced a 10 per cent reduction in flight capacity at 40 major airports nationwide, starting Friday, in an attempt to ease staffing shortages and reduce airspace safety risks.

“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,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN on Sunday.

On the same day, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CBS that if people are unable to travel during Thanksgiving, “we really could be looking at a negative quarter for the fourth quarter.”

The regular federal budget, due on October 1 to mark the start of the fiscal year, remains stalled amid deep partisan divisions. A temporary measure known as a “continuing resolution” is required to fund the government in the meantime.

However, the resolution has been blocked in the Senate due to a procedural hurdle known as the filibuster, which prevents legislation from being brought to a vote without 60 supporting votes.

With just 53 seats, Republicans lack the numbers to break the filibuster and pass their version of the temporary funding measure.

IANS