US airlines scramble to restore schedules after ending of longest US government shutdown 

US airlines are scrambling to restore schedules ahead of the peak Thanksgiving holiday period after the ending of the longest government shutdown in the country’s history.

 

Congress passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government after 43 days of what the US Travel Association described as “chaos”, costing $6 billion in lost travel spend and “unnecessary pain for travellers and federal workers”.

 

The shutdown led to a phased reduction in flights at 40 of the busiest airports across the US which was due to peak at 10% by tomorrow (Friday) as air traffic controllers either stood down or worked without pay. 

 

More than 20,000 flights were delayed or cancelled due the shutdown, according to US president Donald Trump.

 

Hundreds of daily domestic flights had to be cancelled as a result of the edict from the US Federal Aviation Administration to trim schedules from November 7. 

 

It remains unclear how long it will take for US airports to return to normal operations but pressure will be mounting ahead of the November 27 Thanksgiving holiday period. 

 

Speaking in the wake of a bill being signed by Trump to end the the shutdown on Wednesday, US Travel Association president and chief executive Geoff Freeman said: “All government shutdowns are irresponsible - period. They jeopardise essential services, erode public confidence and inflict needless economic pain. 

 

“If Congress ever goes down this foolish path again, essential federal workers - like air traffic controllers and TSA [Transport Security Administration] agents - must be paid without interruption. 

 

“America cannot afford another self-inflicted crisis that threatens the systems millions rely on every day.”

He added: “This resolution restores stability to the people and systems that keep travel moving - but it must also drive long-term change. 

 

“Congress should invest in the modern infrastructure, technology and workforce needed to keep America moving forward.”

 

American Airlines said:  “The shutdown led to widespread delays and cancellations across the country, in addition to FAA-required cancellations, because federal aviation professionals were not being paid. This impacted hundreds of thousands of our customers.

 

"“We are encouraged by the last few days of operations that have already brought fewer delays and cancellations. That means fewer day-of delays and close-in cancellations for our customers. 

 

“We are well positioned to recover quickly because of our operational decisions to minimise disruption. 

 

"Our approach was to limit inconvenience for our customers. We took unprecedented actions to provide flexibility for customers, and we are grateful for their loyalty and patience throughout a challenging period.”

 

Chief executive Robert Isom said: “Despite difficult circumstances, our team members continue to step up and take care of our customers throughout the shutdown-related travel disruptions. 

 

“I am proud of how our team responded and remain truly grateful for the federal aviation workers who faced challenging conditions for weeks without pay, all to get our customers where they needed to go safely. 

 

“Our goal throughout this has remained unchanged: take care of our customers and limit disruption to their travel plans as much as possible. 

 

“We’re ready for business and looking forward to serving customers with a full schedule especially in advance of the Thanksgiving and year-end holidays.”

 

Delta Air Lines said: “Delta appreciates the work of the U.S. Congress to reopen the federal government. 

 

“We are extremely grateful to all the federal workers including air traffic controllers and officers with the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection who worked without a pay check for more than 40 days to keep our skies safe and secure  – and to Delta people who went above and beyond to take care of our customers and government workers during the longest government shutdown in US history. 

 

“We look forward to bringing our operation back to full capacity over the next few days and delivering the premium experience our customers expect as we look ahead to the holiday season."  

 

United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby said in a notice to staff: “Last week’s FAA directive to cut flights during the government shutdown, which we supported, came without much notice and our team sprang into action – by the end of the day Thursday we had already cut hundreds of flights scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

 

"And many of you worked through the weekend as we planned additional cuts for this week.

 

“We acted quickly and strategically, while keeping safety a top priority. And we gave our customers as much notice and flexibility as possible knowing the circumstances were ever-changing.”