Why flight disruptions could linger even after the government shutdown ends

"WASHINGTON Flight disruptions are likely to continue even after the government reopens, airlines and aviation regulators warned, as airlines cancelled scores of flights on Tuesday. The Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to reduce air traffic at 40 of the nation's busiest airports, with cuts still ramping up to 10% of flights by Friday. The agency has been dealing with persistent staffing shortages of air traffic controllers, who are required to work without pay during the shutdown,"

"On Tuesday, airlines canceled more than 1,200 flights, according to the aviation tracking site FlightAware. The situation seemed to be improving somewhat on Tuesday, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, with only a handful of FAA facilities reporting staffing shortages. But Duffy said that air traffic restrictions would remain in place until regulators are satisfied that staffing is back to normal levels."

""It's gonna take a bit to unwind," said former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt in an interview with NPR's All Things Considered. "The airplanes are in the wrong cities and so forth. They're going to have to sort all that out as well. So a good deal of the responsibility will be the carriers getting their schedules and the aircraft and personnel back in the right positions to resume normal flying," Babbitt said."

Air travel disruptions are expected to continue after the government reopens because the FAA directed airlines to reduce traffic at 40 major airports, with reductions ramping to 10% by Friday. The FAA is experiencing persistent air traffic controller staffing shortages as many controllers are required to work without pay during the 42-day government shutdown. Airlines canceled more than 1,200 flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said only a handful of FAA facilities reported shortages but restrictions will remain until staffing returns to normal. Recovering normal operations may take several days as carriers reposition aircraft, schedules and personnel.

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