Travel chaos escalates as government shutdown halts flights in Chicago
Major Airports Face Ground Stops Amid Staffing Shortages
Ground stops were implemented at three major airports on Saturday due to staffing shortages caused by the government shutdown, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). These disruptions affected several key locations across the United States, causing significant delays and cancellations for travelers.
Impact on Key Airports
O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, and Nashville International Airport in Tennessee all experienced flight standstills. Ground stops are measures taken to prevent air traffic systems from becoming overwhelmed, typically lasting up to 30 minutes. However, the situation in Chicago was more severe, with the ground stop lasting nearly 90 minutes. In Nashville, the stop was scheduled to last from 2:36 pm to 7:59 pm CST, with an average delay of 63 minutes expected.
Flight-tracking website Flightaware.com reported that over 1,300 flights had been cancelled as of 2 pm today. At O'Hare, 83 flights were cancelled, while more than 300 were delayed. Newark saw a total of 2,902 delays, with the longest lasting 313 minutes and an average delay of 223 minutes, according to the FAA advisory.
Airlines Affected by Cancellations
American Airlines was the most heavily impacted airline nationally, with 292 of its 5,485 scheduled flights cancelled. This represents 5.3 percent of its total flights. Other major airlines also experienced cancellations ranging from two percent to more than four percent of their scheduled flights. Similar rates of cancellation are expected to occur tomorrow as well.
FAA's Response to Staffing Issues
On Wednesday, the FAA announced its decision to reduce service at high-volume airports to maintain safety as furloughed air traffic controllers showed signs of strain and being overworked. The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on Democrats to end the government shutdown, which is now in its 39th day.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Friday that cancellations could spike to 20 percent if the government isn’t reopened soon. The FAA's announcement stated, "With continued delays and unpredictable staffing shortages, which are driving fatigue, risk is further increasing, and the FAA is concerned with the system’s ability to maintain the current volume of operations."
Refund Policies for Cancelled Flights
Airlines will be required to issue full refunds for cancelled flights but will not have to cover secondary costs such as food and lodging unless the cancellation was due to a factor under their control, according to the Department of Transportation.
Staffing Shortages During Thanksgiving Travel
Last weekend saw some of the worst staffing shortages among air traffic controllers since the start of the shutdown. Between Friday and Sunday evenings, 39 air traffic control facilities reported potential understaffing, according to an AP analysis of operations plans shared through the Air Traffic Control System Command Center.
With fewer than 20 days until Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods in the US, the shutdown is impacting Americans significantly. A tweet from the US Travel X account highlighted the frustration, stating, "Fewer flights. More delays. Americans just want to make it home for Thanksgiving, but Congress had other plans. Thanks, Congress."
The previous record-long shutdown that lasted 35 days during Trump's first term ended largely due to pressures caused by overworked air traffic controllers and flight delays affecting everyday Americans.
