CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Even if the government reopens this week, travelers shouldn’t expect air travel to return to normal immediately. If Wednesday’s House vote to end the shutdown fails, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns travel disruptions will likely worsen.
There’s still no clear timeline for lifting the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated flight reductions, which could climb to 10% by Friday.
Since the start of the week, more than 7,500 flights have been canceled and 25,000 delayed nationwide.
Cancellations have eased slightly, with nearly 900 flights scrapped on Wednesday, down from 1,200 the day before, according to FlightAware. Duffy credits the improvement to more air traffic controllers returning to work amid optimism that the shutdown may soon end.
Still, roughly five million passengers have already been affected, and ripple effects could last for weeks.
Air traffic control staffing remains a concern
Airlines were forced to cancel and reroute flights days in advance, throwing off aircraft and crew scheduling nationwide.
The main factor contributing to flight disruptions remains a shortage of air traffic controllers. About 13,000 have worked without pay during the shutdown, and while they’re expected to receive back pay within 48 hours of reopening, the long-term strain is significant.
Duffy said around 15 to 25 controllers have retired every day during the shutdown, with dozens of others leaving the industry altogether — a loss that could take years to recover from.
“I think our air traffic controllers are seeing an end to the shutdown and feel more hopeful, and they’re coming into their facilities. We’re grateful to them for all that they’re doing,” Duffy said. “Long after you all finish covering the shutdown, we are going to be stuck dealing with this problem where we’re about 2,000 controllers short, trying to make up that difference.”