Over 5,000 flights were canceled or delayed on the second day of Federal Aviation Administration cuts, an inconvenience that could get worse as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns of more cuts.
As of 3 p.m. on Saturday, flight-tracking website FlightAware reported 1,030 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. were canceled, while another 4,211 were delayed. The tracker doesn’t distinguish between delays and cancellations caused by the FAA’s cuts and other factors, but the number of cancellations is several times higher than on previous days of the week.
Duffy announced a 10% reduction in flights at 40 locations due to the government shutdown, placing pressure on thinly stretched air traffic controllers at a Wednesday press conference. The vital personnel have been required to work without pay, forcing the Department of Transportation to take desperate measures.
These cuts will come in phases, beginning with a 4% reduction on Friday, 6% reduction by Nov. 11, 8% reduction by Nov. 13, and a 10% reduction by Nov. 14. Duffy warned that flight reductions could go as high as 20% if the government shutdown continues.
The impact could be seen on FlightAware, with airports targeted by the cuts seeing disproportionately high numbers of delays and cancellations. John F. Kennedy International Airport saw 247 departing flights, 38% of all departing flights, canceled or delayed. Newark Liberty International Airport saw 200 departing flights canceled or delayed, 41% of all departing flights. LaGuardia saw 149 departing flights canceled or delayed — 43% of the total.
The number of canceled flights already exceeded that of Friday, the first day of the cuts, which saw 1,070 flights into, out of, or within the U.S. canceled.
Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford explained on Wednesday that the decision to cut 10% of flights at 40 airports was based on a data-driven approach.
“We have decided that a 10% reduction in scheduled capacity would be appropriate to again, continue to take the pressure off of our controllers, and as we continue to see staffing triggers, there will be additional measures that will be taken in those specific markets. Again, I think it’s a holistic plan,” he said.
Bedford conceded that there’s “no perfect science here,” but their calculations determined that a 10% reduction at 40 locations where pressure is greatest is the best course of action.