Thousands of US flights cancelled amid government shutdown
- US airports are experiencing significant disruption and thousands of flight cancellations due to an ongoing federal government shutdown.
- The widespread cancellations are a direct result of an FAA order to reduce air traffic, as air traffic controllers, unpaid for nearly a month, have stopped reporting for duty.
- Over 1,500 flights were cancelled on Saturday, more than 2,900 on Sunday, and thousands more for Monday and Tuesday, with major airports facing substantial delays.
- The FAA has implemented mandatory flight reductions, starting at 4 per cent and set to increase, to manage staffing shortages and ensure passenger safety.
- Although the Senate has taken initial steps to end the shutdown, experts warn that normal flight operations will take time to resume, and the situation could worsen significantly by the holiday season.