Thanksgiving Travel Trouble: Air Traffic Woes Hit Hard

Air travel in the U. S. is facing serious problems. The government shutdown is making things worse. More than 2, 100 flights were called off on Sunday. This is because many air traffic controllers are not showing up for work. They have not been paid in almost a month. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cut flights at busy airports. These cuts started at 4% on Friday. They will go up to 10% by November 14. This means fewer flights will take off and land. It will affect all airlines. Some airports are hit harder than others. Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta had over 570 cancellations on Sunday. Newark Liberty in New Jersey had at least 265. Weather is also causing issues in some places. Travelers are feeling the impact. Kyra March had a tough time getting to Atlanta. Her flight from Tampa was delayed and then canceled. She had to stay in a hotel and try again the next day. The FAA says staff shortages are causing big delays. At Newark and LaGuardia in New York, flights are leaving about 75 minutes late on average. Detroit Airport was quiet on Sunday. But the boards showed many delays and cancellations. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned things could get worse. If the shutdown continues, more flight cuts might be needed. He said up to 20% of flights could be canceled. This is because more controllers are retiring early. Duffy also mentioned a possible solution. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered military air traffic controllers. But it is unclear if they can work on civilian systems. Some people think the flight cuts are a political move. But Duffy says they are necessary for safety. He blames Democrats for the situation. Airlines for America says staffing issues caused most delays on Saturday. Since October 1, controller shortages have affected over 4 million passengers. This shows how serious the problem is. The government has been short on controllers for years. The shutdown is making it worse.