U.S. airlines have cut back on flights as the longest government shutdown in U.S. history continues into the weekend.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Friday that airlines could have to cut flights by up to 20% if the shutdown continues.
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That’s much higher than the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) directive on Wednesday, which called for all airlines to reduce their flight schedules by 4% to address safety concerns amid the grounding and limited staffing. The FAA announced at the time that the cuts would increase to 10% by next Friday, if the shutdown had not ended by then.
“We’re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace,” Duffy told reporters Friday.
The cuts are putting a strain on travel through 40 of the nation’s busiest airports, including Atlanta, Washington, Houston and Denver.
The cuts began with flights scheduled for Friday at 6 a.m. ET (11 p.m. Japan time) and included 700 flight reductions across the four largest U.S. airlines: Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.
However, the FAA provides limited guidance on how this directive applies to private and charter flights.
“General aviation operations may also be reduced by up to 10 percent at high-impact airports, including TEB (Teterboro Airport in New Jersey), HOU (Hobby Airport in Houston), and DAL (Dallas Love Field),” the FAA guidance states.
But beyond that, it remains unclear which “general aviation” flights (a category that includes private jet travel) will be reduced and how the reductions will be implemented.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) pointed out to Al Jazeera in a press release that parachute flights and aerial photography operations have decreased. However, there is no clear guidance regarding business jet travel.
The U.S. Department of Transportation did not respond to additional questions about personal business travel, which accounts for 1 in 6 flights in U.S. airspace. Meanwhile, private jet flights contribute only 2% of their tax dollars to a trust fund that pays for the operation and maintenance of U.S. airspace.
Advocacy groups are calling on private jet owners to suspend operations while the system is stressed.
“Private jet owners who are flying just for fun this week need to reconsider their choices. They are taking away the ability of everyday people who need to get to their destination. Some may not make it to their grandmother’s bedside in time. This is not going to work,” Erica Payne, president of Patriotic Millionaires, a wealthy advocacy group that aims to build a more just economy, told Al Jazeera.
“Shifting the cost[of flight reductions]to private jet owners who can ‘do penance’ in first class. This shows where the priorities really are. The Transportation Security Administration could direct private jets to be grounded,” Payne added.
Charter airlines currently do not face the same restrictions as major airlines such as United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines, which must reduce domestic flights for as long as the directive is in place.
Al Jazeera has contacted public charter airlines JSX and Aero for comment on how they are weathering the closure.
A JSX spokesperson told Al Jazeera in a statement: “Our operations follow and comply with the order, and customers on affected flights will be notified and respond as appropriate.”
Aero did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request.
Delays, cancellations
Passengers on commercial flights are already feeling the pinch, with staff shortages at the country’s major airports causing ground delays of more than an hour in some cases.
On Friday, there were 856 cancellations and more than 2,800 delays for commercial airline flights to, from, and within the United States, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks cancellations and delays.
“Air traffic controllers and TSA employees are once again receiving empty paychecks. Since the shutdown began, more than 3.5 million passengers have experienced delays or cancellations due to air traffic control staffing concerns,” airline industry group Airlines4America said in a statement.
Earlier this week, FAA Administrator Brian Bedford said 20 to 40 percent of air traffic controllers are not at work on any given day. So far, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security inspectors have been forced to work without pay.
On Wall Street, airline stocks remained resilient despite remaining nervous despite markets being closed on Friday.
Delta Air Lines’ stock rose 1.8%, United Airlines rose 1.7% and Southwest Airlines rose 2.9%. American Airlines rose 1.8% on the day. Seattle-based Alaska Airlines rose 2.8% to 4.3% and New York-based JetBlue rose 4%.
While the White House and President Donald Trump’s administration continue to criticize Democrats, including for automated email responses, the president has not restricted his own travel. He is scheduled to head to Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday afternoon. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Al Jazeera has also reached out to Immigration Enforcement, which said ICE Airlines and its subcontractors are ramping up deportation flights under President Trump’s immigration policies. Based on September estimates, there are an average of 49 deportation flights a day, according to data compiled by Human Rights First. ICE did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request.
