Every day that the shutdown continues, its strain on U.S. air travel becomes harder to ignore. Now, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a 10% reduction in scheduled flights across 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, claiming that unpaid and overworked air traffic controllers face mounting fatigue amid the ongoing government shutdown. Is this a necessary move or simply a political ploy?
“We are starting to see evidence that fatigue is building in the system in ways that we feel we need to relieve some of that pressure,” Bedford said. “If the pressures continue to build even after we take these measures, we’ll come back and take additional steps.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy added that the government “cannot wait for an incident” before acting, noting that controller absences and extended shifts are creating untenable working conditions.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
