Nationwide flight disruption stretched into Sunday as the Federal Aviation Administration limited capacity at 40 major U.S. airports amid the longest government shutdown in American history, reported by ABC News.
As of 5:30 a.m. ET Sunday, more than 1,100 flights were canceled across the country, according to FlightAware. On Saturday, 1,521 flights were canceled and more than 6,400 were delayed. Friday saw 1,024 cancellations. Since Friday, over 3,700 flights have been canceled, ABC News said.
Major disruption was expected to continue through Sunday. As of Saturday night, there were more than 40 air traffic control staffing triggers at facilities nationwide, ABC News reported.
The FAA has avoided cutting international flights, which would violate bilateral agreements with foreign governments, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an interview on ABC News Live. He added the agency is managing sustained staffing shortages at air traffic control towers and centers as the shutdown continues.
According to ABC News, airlines have began cutting back on flights at their busiest hubs to make things easier for controllers and maintain operations safe. These cuts are anticipated to grow throughout the week. Travelers were advised to check their carrier’s alerts and allow extra time at airports as delays compound throughout the day.
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