Locked Ground, Lost Journeys: How the US Shutdown Grounded 2,500+ Flights and Upended Thanksgiving Travel
In the course of the US federal shutdown, over 2,500 flights were cancelled throughout the weekend, leaving those who had to travel unemployed and in a tight situation right before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Turbulence Before the Holiday
At the same time the US is having a government shutdown crisis, the consequences of this deadlock have reached far outside the Washington beltway. There were forcibly more than 2,500 flight cancellations over the weekend nationwide due to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reductions imposed as a result of a payless work situation for the air-traffic controllers that the agency wants to relieve. A crowd of travelers was about to the holiday season of Thanksgiving and their sudden changes occurred during their journey.
Why Were Flights Cancelled?
Flight cancellations are mainly caused by the scarcity of control towers with the shortage of living quarters and the operations of the airport. Some of the controllers who are in the majority unfortunate that they have to work without being paid during the shutdown, are getting sick and leaving, thus the FAA compelled to take measures against them. The turning point before contrasting the situation: for the next few days, it will be necessary to limit by up to 10% flight operations at those 40 largest airports where the reductions are to take place.
Passengers Scramble, Confidence Falters
Travelers have been caught off guard and some have been left to pay for new tickets or renting a place which is the direct result of flight cancellation-induced confusion and frustration. On some occasions, the cancellation of a flight was barely a notification from the carrier, and hence, the anxiety associated with the holiday travel has been elevated further. The fear of Thanksgiving travelers is that only a handful of such scenarios have been witnessed so far. As a result of the viral effect, rental prices have gone up, people are looking for other ways of getting to their destination, and some have decided to cancel their plans.
What This Means for the Industry
Not only does the situation lead to immediate travel woes, in the long run, the aviation industry will face major disruption in areas like cargo routes, tourism, and regional flights that have been dependent on a shutdown-driven upheaval that threatens the eventual erosion of public trust in the system's reliability. Airlines have started to cut their schedules and are focusing more on which flights will be considered long-haul and those that lead from hub to hub, thus leaving less frequent flights on smaller regional routes vulnerable.
What Can Travellers Do?
• Verify your flight regularly, and be willing to make a new reservation
• Be sure that the security time is long enough and be ready for any kind of delay
• If possible, use other means of transport
• Keep yourself up-to-date with the news by airlines and airports
The Big Picture: A Warning Sign
Delays in flights are just one of the many possible outcomes that hang over the issue of heavy budgetary and political deadlock on matters like air-traffic control, that ultimately have the consequence of affecting everyone. The location could not be more inappropriate - just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, a ripple effect that is now a wave could be felt.
