Getty ImagesMore than 1,000 flights to, from or within the United States were canceled Saturday after airlines were ordered to reduce service this week during the federal government shutdown.
About 4,000 flights were also delayed, compared with more than 7,000 delays on Friday, according to flight tracking system FlightAware.
Earlier this week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it would cut air traffic capacity by up to 10% at the nation's 40 busiest airports as air traffic controllers, who are working without pay during the shutdown, report fatigue.
Republicans and Democrats remain divided over how to break the impasse in Congress as the shutdown that began Oct. 1 continues.
Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey had some of the longest wait times. As of Saturday afternoon, airport arrivals were delayed by an average of more than four hours, and departures from the airport were delayed by an average of 1.5 hours, according to the FAA.
The airports with the most canceled flights Saturday, both outbound and return, were Charlotte/Douglas International, Newark Liberty International and Chicago O'Hare International, according to FlightAware.
Flights to John F Kennedy International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and La Guardia airports were delayed by nearly three hours, more than 2.5 hours and about an hour, respectively, the FAA said as of Saturday afternoon.
With Thanksgiving approaching on November 27, it's one of the busiest travel seasons of the year in the United States.
It's not just commercial flights that have been affected. There are also restrictions on private jets, Secretary Duffy said in a Saturday post on X.
“We have reduced their numbers at high-traffic airports—instead, private jets use smaller airports or airfields so busy controllers can focus on commercial aviation,” Duffy wrote. “That's fair.”
And the situation is likely to get worse in the coming days as the FAA increases the percentage of canceled flights.
The agency announced Thursday that the flight cuts will be gradual, starting with 4% of flights on Friday, then rising to 6% by Nov. 11, 8% by Nov. 13 and 10% by Nov. 14.
The FAA said the cuts were necessary to maintain safety because air traffic controllers were overworked during the shutdown.
As essential workers, supervisors are required to continue working without pay, and as a result, many are quitting sick or taking second jobs to afford basic necessities, unions say.
Comptrollers are just some of the 1.4 million federal workers who either worked without pay or were forced to work during the shutdown.
Saturday marked the 39th day of the longest shutdown in history, with Republicans and Democrats still unable to agree on a resolution to fund government reopening.
Senators are in Washington over the weekend for bipartisan talks aimed at ending the shutdown.
Another factor affecting air travel is that most of the 64,000 Transportation Security Agency (TSA) agents are also not being paid while the shutdown is in effect.
During the previous government shutdown, under US President Donald Trump in 2018, it was found that up to 10% of TSA employees chose to stay home rather than work for free.
