As the government shutdown enters its second day, flight disruptions in the United States have seen a notable uptick, raising concerns about the potential for further complications as busy travel months approach.
Initially, disruptions were relatively tame, but the Airlines of America group, which represents major U.S. carriers like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, has warned that prolonged furloughs of federal employees could strain the aviation system.
The group emphasized, “When federal employees who manage air traffic, inspect aircraft, and secure our nation’s aviation system are furloughed or working without pay, the entire industry and millions of Americans feel the strain.”
This strain has been demonstrated with a rise in delays and cancellations, although the numbers are not yet dire. According to the latest data from Flight Aware, there have been 821 total delays affecting flights within, into, or out of the United States, alongside 32 cancellations that have occurred thus far on day two of the shutdown.
Among U.S. commercial carriers, American Airlines has emerged as the leader in flight disruptions, having reported 108 delays and two cancellations. This marks an increase compared to the figures from the prior day. United Airlines follows in second place with 63 delays, but it has reported a higher number of cancellations—eight—compared to American Airlines. Delta Air Lines has not yet released its data for the day.
On the airport front, Chicago O’Hare International Airport has the most delays recorded, clocking in at 28, with just two cancelled flights.
If the trend continues, flight disruptions are on track to exceed those from day one of the shutdown, which had previously exhibited comparatively minimal delays and cancellations.
On day one of the government shutdown, the total number of delays for U.S. flights reached 3,097, alongside 51 cancellations. United Airlines led the disruptions that day with 450 delays, accounting for 15% of its total flights, and it also reported 13 cancellations. American Airlines experienced 305 delays and four cancellations while Delta Air Lines reported delays on 8% of its flights, totaling 280, with two cancellations.
In a broader context, global airlines also faced significant disruptions with easyJet leading in delays at 482, followed closely by China Eastern with 442 delays. Ryanair is also grappling with the impact of the shutdown, logging 399 delays and 20 cancellations, making it the carrier with the highest number of cancelled flights that day.
Meanwhile, United Airlines is seeking recovery from a recent setback caused by a tech outage, which led to a temporary halt of flights out of the U.S. and Canada. This incident prompted the airline to reach out to the Federal Aviation Administration, requesting a pause on flights during a critical timeframe early in the morning to address the issue, which was fortunately resolved within half an hour.
The outages impacted major hubs such as LAX, which recorded 42 delays and four cancellations due to the tech failure. With the ongoing government shutdown potentially complicating the resolution of such technical issues, the aviation industry is poised for a challenging period ahead.
A prolonged shutdown could lead to escalating flight disruptions, affecting passengers across the United States as they prepare for busy travel periods in the weeks to come.
image source from：thetravel
