Washington, Nov 6 (EFE). — Major U.S. airlines reacted cautiously on Wednesday to the Department of Transportation's decision to reduce flight capacity by 10% at 40 high-volume airports starting Friday. This measure stems from the partial government shutdown and a staffing shortage in air traffic control. Southwest Airlines stated it is "evaluating how the planned flight restrictions by the Administration will impact our schedule and will communicate directly with customers as soon as possible," stressing the need for the Senate to "immediately resolve its impasse to restore the national airspace system to full capacity." Meanwhile, the industry group Airlines for America said, "We are working with the federal government to understand all the details of the new reduction mandate and will strive to mitigate impacts for passengers and shippers." Overall, the airlines warned that the measure could create uncertainty for passengers, urging them to check their flight status and anticipate possible delays or cancellations. The measure announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is justified by a current deficit of over 2,000 air traffic controllers, as many have begun resigning to take other jobs after going a month without receiving their salary. Airports in Phoenix (Arizona) and Newark (New Jersey), which serves the New York area, are experiencing international flight delays, with an alert for passengers advising of potential waits of up to three hours. The government shutdown, which began on October 1, became the longest in U.S. history on Wednesday, surpassing the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019 during Donald Trump's first presidential term, which was largely resolved due to pressure from the air traffic crisis caused by the controller shortage.
