Muktadesh Desk: The longest government shutdown in US history has virtually brought government operations to a standstill. The country’s aviation sector has been hit hard by the 36-day shutdown. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided to reduce flights at 40 major airports by 10 percent from Friday (November 7) local time. The authorities have been forced to take steps that increase staffing shortages and safety risks.
This information was reported in a BBC report on Saturday (November 7).
The report said that US President Donald Trump’s first term saw a 35-day shutdown. It was the longest in US history so far. This time, the current shutdown has surpassed that record.
The BBC reported that about 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security officers are working without pay. This has severely weakened airport security, and the rate of flight delays and cancellations has increased. US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the decision to reduce flights from Friday to control the situation.
FAA chief Brian Bedford said controller fatigue and financial pressures were threatening airspace safety. So the decision has been made to reduce flights in stages — 4 percent the first day, 5 percent the next day, and then 10 percent within a week.
The report said that the list of 40 airports will be published on Thursday (November 6). FAA officials said that the busiest airports such as New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas will also be covered. Airlines fear that an average of 3 to 4 thousand flights could be canceled per day.
President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the government shutdown has caused instability in everything from the stock market to air travel. He also cited the shutdown as a reason behind the recent election victories of Democrats in three states. Calling Democrats “radical lunatics,” Trump urged Congress to take action quickly to resolve the shutdown. At the same time, he demanded that the “filibuster” rule be abolished in the Senate.