Air travelers start to feel the pain ahead of further potential flight reductions
Air travelers start to feel the pain ahead of further potential flight reductions
With the federal government shutdown in its 38th day and no end in sight, warnings about air travel complications have become ominous.
San Francisco, California - With the federal government shutdown in its 38th day and no end in sight, warnings about air travel complications have become ominous.
Republican representatives on Friday rejected a plan to end the shutdown. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said the recent cuts to flights may have to increase if the stalemate continues.
"We're going to have to continue to assess the pressure in the airspace and make decisions that, again, may move us from 10% to 15%, maybe to 20% (reduction)," Duffy said in a recent press conference.
Local perspective:
Some flight delays on Friday at San Francisco International Airport could be attributed to the weather, but the FAA reports a shortage of air traffic controllers has increased delays and cancellations at the 40 busiest airports in the country, five of which are in the Golden State.
SFO's All Departures Board showed ten cancellations during the noon hour. That's only a 4% reduction in flights. If the shutdown further reduces the number of air traffic controllers, that number could rise drastically, and travelers are all too aware.
"I left out of JFK to come here to SF and that was on time. But some of my colleagues were going from other airports and they were significantly (delayed); probably 5 or 6 hours in some cases," Sunita Patel said.
Lianxio He lost an entire day.
"So, our first leg got delayed, so we can't really catch the second leg and then there was only one flight going out from LAX to Aspen," He said.
The uncertainty has left travelers with no other options but to fly feeling unsafe.
"I'm incredibly concerned. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't really feel like I had to. I just, I don't feel safe flying at all," Stephanie Soriano said.
What's next:
Future flyers are also worried as the holiday season — always a busy time at the airport — quickly approaches.
"I also have (a flight) potentially coming up in about a week, week-and-a-half, and things might be a little worse then, heading to Vegas from SFO. I know both of them are on the affected list," Dave Andrade said.
The uncertainty could have also have economic impacts too — would-be holiday travelers may well decide the trip isn't worth the trouble.
"Some people who were thinking of going home for the holidays and hadn't booked tickets yet, might say it's just gonna be too much of a hassle," UC Berkley Haas School of Business Airline Economist Severin Borenstein said.
Borenstein added the current air traffic control system is outdated and needs to be modernized.
"The whole system looks a lot like it looked 30 or 40 years ago," Borenstein said.
Mary Schiavo, aviation attorney, pilot and former US Department of Transportation Inspector General says this whole picture is much more daunting.
"Everybody focuses on the air traffic controllers, but if the guy or gal keeps the radar running with toothpicks and hairpins isn't there to do it, man you're not flying anyway," Schiavo said.