Federal shutdown in the United States is producing strong repercussions on the air traffic system, with thousands of canceled or late flights at the main airports in the country. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration recorded over a thousand cancellations and more than four thousand delays, particularly in Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The lack of flight controllers and support personnel, remained without salary during the stop of the government, is indicated as the main cause of disservices.
In the only Ronald Reagan airport of the capital the average arrival delay exceeded the two hours, and the FAA warned that on weekend cancellations could affect up to 20 percent of national flights. The U.S. civil aviation sector operates with a highly interdependent structure: lack of personnel in a geographical area tends to generate large-scale relapses, which is why delays are spreading to airports less affected by the shortage of controllers.
The Department of Transport reported that the inconvenience could intensify in the next week if the shutdown should continue. The Secretary of Transport, Sean Duffy, warned that in case of further reduction of the operating staff it could be necessary to suspend up to 20 percent of the national routes to ensure the minimum safety standards. The long queues to the security controls, already extensive in various airports, are also affecting passengers of international flights, although they are not so far affected by significant cancellations.
On the political level, the negotiations at the Congress remain blocked. The democratic Members, strengthened by the electoral result of the previous week, reject the proposals made by the Republicans to reopen the government. The leader of the Conservatives in the Senate, John Thune, said that the party would be willing to vote for any measure once the shutdown is over, but the Democrats call for immediate guarantees on the extension of the subsidies linked to the Obamacare, at the center of the dispute with the Trump administration.
Airlines for America, the association that represents the main US airlines, asked the Congress for urgent intervention, recalling that in two weeks the busiest period of the year, that of Thanksgiving, with a forecast of approximately 31 million passengers. A shutdown still in progress in those days, explains the association, would significantly increase the risk of traffic interruptions and prolonged delays.
The consequences of the suspension of government activities are also affecting Europe. In Italy, the Democratic Party deputy Debora Serracchiani presented a question to the ministries of Defense and Labour on the delays in payments to U.S. civil servants, asking that the Italian government intervene temporarily covering salaries, with subsequent reimbursement by the American authorities. Similar situations are also reported in other US bases in Europe, where many workers and military are facing wage delays due to the suspension of federal funds.
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