More than a thousand flights canceled in US due to budget shutdown

More than a thousand flights were canceled Friday at U.S. airports due to the budget impasse, which has forced the federal government to reduce air traffic in the face of staffing shortages.

With government Republicans and opposition Democrats in a stalemate over the budget, federal agencies have been at a virtual standstill since funding dried up on Oct. 1.

As a safety measure, authorities ordered a reduction in air traffic at 40 of the nation's busiest airports due to understaffing at control towers, where controllers have been asked to work without pay for more than five weeks.

International flights are not affected, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed Friday.

One thousand flights were canceled Friday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware, which identified Washington (Reagan), Chicago O'Hare and Atlantaairports as the hardest hit. About 700 cancellations are expected Saturday.

"This is frustrating. We shouldn't be in this situation," Robert Isom, chief executive of American Airlines, told CNBC.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump on Friday urged senators to stay in Washington until a deal is reached.

Republicans control Congress, but Democrats have said they will refuse to pass the majority party's budget plans, which include drastic cuts to health care.

"A lot of people hurt"

The flight-cutting measures come just as the United States enters its busiest travel season of the year, just weeks before Thanksgiving.

"This will get worse if the situation drags into Thanksgiving," retiree Werner Buchi told the AFP at LaGuardia Airport in New York, as he waited for his daughter coming from North Carolina.

Rhonda, 65, who arrived at LaGuardia from Portland, Maine, expressed concern that vacation plans "could be ruined." "This is hurting a lot of people," she said.

American Airlines said in a statement that the scheduled cutback equates to 220 flight cancellations a day.

Delta Air Lines announced the cancellation of about 170 flights on Friday, while CNN reported that Southwest Airlines canceled about 100.

Passengers faced long lines at security checkpoints.

The Trump administration tried to reassure the public that flying remains safe.

However, many people with high-pressure aviation jobs are asking for sick leave and possibly looking for a second job to pay their bills.

"It's very hard to work under pressure without getting paid," Kathleen, an 81-year-old retiree who came to New York from Saint Louis, Missouri, told the AFP Kathleen told New York.

About 14,000 air traffic controllers oversee U.S. airspace. Every day, more than three million passengers fly in the United States, on an average of more than 44,000 flights, according to the FAA.