Secretary Duffy said there will be a 10% reduction in capacity at 40 locations across the country as staff shortages put pressure on the FAA amid the longest government shutdown in history.
International flights will continue to operate as normal despite the ongoing government shutdown, Transport Minister Sean Duffy said on Friday.
Duffy spoke to reporters at Reagan National Airport this morning as the government shutdown has worsened travel disruptions across the country, affecting millions of passengers and forcing the government to reduce flight volume.
“International flights will not be impacted, and there is a reason for that,” Duffy said. “We have international agreements that we adhere to and because of those international agreements I am not going to influence those international flights.”
TURBULENCE AHEAD: CHARTS SHOW HOW THE SHUTDOWN IS DISRUPTING US AIRPORTS
Duffy said that if the agreement is violated, other countries will eventually “restrict U.S. flights.” He said this would have a “long-lasting impact on our ability to send travelers from the US to those partner countries.”
A Frontier Airlines plane seen at Cancun International Airport. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
United Airlines planes make their way to a runway at Newark Liberty International Airport. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
AIRLINES TO ADJUST THANKSGIVING PILOT RESERVES EARLY AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SNAPS FLIGHTS
The Federal Aviation Administration said this week that will decrease air traffic by 10% in 40 high-volume markets to maintain safety amid the shutdown and ongoing air traffic control staff shortages. This move could eliminate thousands of flights per day as long as the shutdown continues.
AIRLINES ARE WORKING TO LIMIT IMPACT AS FAA RESTRICTS AIR TRAFFIC BY 10% ON 40 MARKETS TO CLOSURE
The reduction was made to ease pressure on the airline system, which is already facing a staffing crisis.
Air traffic controllers have been forced to work overtime, with many logging six-day weeks and ten-hour days. Now they have been without a salary for more than a month. Some have started calling due to financial strain, leading to flight delays at major airports.
People walk through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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More than 3.2 million airline passengers have been affected by delays or cancellations attributed to staffing shortages related to air traffic controller staffing issues since the government shutdown began Oct. 1, according to industry trade group Airlines for America.
Reuters contributed to this report.
