With Staffing Shortages, FAA to Cut Air Traffic in 40 Places

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it will reduce air traffic by 10% across 40 "high-volume" markets beginning Friday morning to maintain safety during the government shutdown. The reduction stands to impact thousands of flights nationwide, the AP reports. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference that the agency would not wait for a crisis to act, citing growing staffing pressures caused by the shutdown. "We can't ignore it," he said.

The FAA is confronting staffing shortages among air traffic controllers who have been working unpaid since the shutdown began Oct. 1, with some calling out of work, resulting in delays across the country. Bedford and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said they would meet later Wednesday with airline executives to determine how to safely implement the reduction in flights. "The early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent things from deteriorating," Bedford said. The two officials declined to identify the affected markets until they speak with the airline. Bedford said a list would be released Thursday. "If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures," he said, "we'll come back and take additional measures."

There have already been numerous delays at airports across the country—sometimes hours long—because the FAA slows down or stops traffic temporarily anytime it is short on controllers. Last weekend had some of the worst staffing shortages, and on Sunday, flights at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were delayed for several hours. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said flight data showed a "broader slowdown" last Thursday across the nation's aviation system for the first time since the shutdown began, suggesting staffing-related disruptions were starting to become more widespread. That came days after controllers missed their first full paychecks.