Over 1,200 flights cancelled as US shutdown disrupts holiday travel | Top points

According to the tracking website FlightAware, more than 1,200 flights were scheduled to be cancelled.

American Airlines has cancelled 220 flights daily, Delta has cut around 170 flights for Friday, and Southwest Airlines has axed about 100 flights. Delays on Thursday exceeded 6,800, with an additional 200 cancellations, according to FlightAware.

The flight reductions come as the Trump administration ordered cuts to ease the strain on air traffic controllers working without pay amid a federal government shutdown.

Some of the most severely impacted airports are Atlanta, Newark, Denver, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles.

The cancellations represent the start of a phased reduction, beginning at 4 per cent and expected to climb to 10 per cent next week if Congress fails to pass a funding measure.

However, FlightAware reported that 94 per cent of flights still departed on time, but disruptions have already caused long lines and delays at major hubs.

How does it impact America?

The US shutdown left many federal employees either furloughed or working without pay, including vital personnel at airports. The impact is being felt directly by ordinary Americans, who are now struggling with delayed or cancelled travel plans during one of the busiest times of the year.

“This will get serious if things drag on to Thanksgiving,” retiree Werner Buchi told AFP at New York’s LaGuardia airport as he waited for his daughter to arrive on a flight from Wilmington, North Carolina.

Rhonda, 65, who arrived at LaGuardia without a hitch from Portland, Maine, worried about holiday plans “that could be ruined because people won’t talk to each other. This is hurting a lot of people,” she said.

Travellers at Boston and Newark airports have faced average delays of more than two hours, while those at Chicago’s O’Hare and Washington’s Reagan National airports have experienced delays of more than an hour.

Travellers at Boston and Newark airports experienced average delays of more than two hours, while Chicago O’Hare and Washington Reagan National saw delays of over an hour.

US flights cancelled due to shutdown: Top points

• American Airlines said in a statement that its scheduled reduction amounted to 220 flight cancellations each day.
• The most affected airports were Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Denver and Phoenix, according to data analysed by AFP.
• The flight reductions are taking effect gradually, starting at four per cent and rising to 10 per cent next week if Congress still hasn’t reached a funding deal.
• Aviation analytics company Cirium said three per cent of US flights had been cancelled so far, with 94 per cent departing on time.
• During the shutdown, many government employees, including vital airport staff, are either working without pay or furloughed at home, waiting for the now nearly six-week crisis to come to an end.

(with AFP inputs)