Overview
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA will impose a 10% capacity reduction at 40 airports beginning Friday unless funding is restored, with the affected list due Thursday.
- Officials warned they may close portions of U.S. airspace next week if staffing deteriorates further, describing the prospect of continued shutdown as “mass chaos.”
- About 13,000 air traffic controllers are working without pay, the FAA reports, with shortages at nearly half of core facilities and absences of 20%–40% at the 30 largest airports.
- New York–area facilities saw up to 80% controller callouts on Oct. 31, and the FAA has been slowing traffic and ordering ground stops to maintain safety.
- Airlines and travel groups say more than 3 million passengers have been disrupted and the travel economy has lost over $4 billion, while 50,000 unpaid TSA officers face mounting strain at checkpoints.