Shutdown: more than 2,000 flights canceled but signs of progress in the Senate to reopen government

(AFP) Air traffic disruptions in the United States worsened Sunday, with more than 2,000 flights canceled as a direct result of the government shutdown, which could be resolved surprisingly soon after 40 days of gridlock.

For the first time in weeks, activity in the Senate seems to indicate a breakthrough in negotiations between the president's Republicans Donald Trump and Democrats to find a way out of what is already the longest government shutdown in the country's history.

This prospect of resolution comes at a time when airport chaos has become the main focus of the political battle over the budget.

By Sunday night, the number of flight cancellations topped 2,300, with more than 8,000 delays, according to data from tracking platform FlightAware.

Since Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the air transport regulator, has been asking airlines to gradually reduce their domestic flights to ease pressure on air traffic controllers, who are working without pay.

Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, warned on Fox News that air traffic will be drastically reduced if there is no budget deal, with Thanksgiving at the end of November. That weekend also kicks off the holiday shopping season on which many retailers depend.

"We're going to see very few of the air traffic controllers coming to work, which means there will be few flights taking off and landing," he said.

"Maneuvering"

The gradual reduction in air traffic is expected to reach 10% of canceled flights by next Friday, up from 4% now, Duffy said.

There will be "a lot of angry Americans," the Trump administration official noted.

"Thanks to the Democrats," the White House noted on one of its official X accounts in blaming the blue party for the stalled negotiations.

The government has been in a state of budget paralysis since early October. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees considered essential, including air traffic controllers, are working without pay.

Some of them "will be forced to look for extra work to make ends meet," the transportation secretary lamented on CNN.

But for Senate Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer, the flight cancellation orders are a political "stunt" that has "nothing to do with safety."

Unusual developments

Pressure on lawmakers to come to an agreement on a way out of the crisis has been mounting and appeared to be bearing some fruit Sunday.

A deal is "getting closer and closer," Majority Leader in the Senate, John Thune, told reporters.

"After 40 days (of stalemate), the Senate is showing real signs of progress," Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar explained on X, referring to a "group of senators from both parties" who agreed to earmark funds for the federal government "through January."

"This is the most significant step toward a compromise in weeks," he added.

The Senate could vote on the issue as early as this Sunday night.

But passage, which is not yet guaranteed, does not ensure an end to the gridlock, since the bill would have to move to the House of Representatives, where the Republican majority is razor-thin.

The budget impasse is also affecting the federal food assistance program, which supports 42 million Americans (one in eight) on a monthly basis.

The lack of payment due to the government shutdown is the subject of a court case, but in the meantime, thousands of recipients are mired in uncertainty.