‘Catastrophic:’ Air travelโ industry warnsโค of more delays at DFW, Love as shutdown drags on.
DALLAS – The ongoing federalโ government shutdown is escalatingโข disruptions to air travel, with โคindustry leaders warningโ of increasingโ delaysโ at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field โas the impasse in Washington continues.The federal Aviation Governance (FAA) has โคalready begun reducing air traffic by 10% acrossโฃ 40 “high-volume” markets, a move that is beginning โขto impact travelers ahead of the busyโฃ holiday season.
The cuts, implemented Nov. โ5, are a direct consequence โขof the shutdown and are designed to manage staffing limitations at โthe FAA. โขExpertsโฃ predict further deterioration of air travel efficiency if theโข shutdown โคpersists, possibly leading to โwidespread cancellations and significant economicโข consequences for โthe region. โTheโค situation โฃfollows a recent UPS โcargo plane crash on takeoff from a Kentucky airport on Nov.4, where 12 peopleโ diedโข after an engineโข fell off โand the aircraft exploded. โ
The FAA’s reduction in โair โคtraffic affects major metropolitan areas, including those โขserved byโค DFW and Love Field. According to the Dallas news, Transportation โฃSecretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the โคimpact, signaling a challenging period for air travelers. โขThe agency isโฃ prioritizingโ safety, but the reduced capacity is already causing ripple effects โขthroughout the national airspace system.
The โshutdown’s impact extends beyond flight schedules. Security screenings โขat airports could face longer lines โคas Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees โฃwork without pay.โข While TSA has assured the public that security will not be compromised, concerns remain about potential staffing โshortages and morale.
Industry analysts warn that โthe โtiming of the shutdown โis โparticularly problematic, coincidingโ with the โapproaching Thanksgiving and December holiday travel peaks. The disruption could cost airlines millions โฃof dollars in lost revenueโ and inconvenience hundredsโค of thousands of โpassengers.
