An end in view for US air transport chaos?
Is the shutdown affecting the United States on the way to be resolved ? With a 60 to 40 vote, the U.S. Senate on Monday night took a crucial step toward ending the federal government shutdown, following days of mounting disruption across the nation’s air traffic system.
The breakthrough came after a coalition of some Senate Democrats struck a deal with Republican leaders and the White House. They all together secured a commitment for a future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
While the vote signals progress, the process isn’t over. Once approved, the measure must return to the House of Representatives, which will need to adopt the Senate deal. It will then reach President Donald Trump’s desk for signature. It seems however that a resolution is due to come anytime soon.
Air traffic control strain reached breaking point last week-end
This will be welcome news among others for travelers. Over the weekend, the shutdown’s toll on aviation safety reached its worst level yet.
A CNN analysis of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data showed 146 “staffing triggers” — instances where operations had to be adjusted to maintain safety with too few air traffic controllers. These measures can include rerouting flights or imposing delays when the system cannot safely handle normal traffic volumes.
The weekend breakdown was particularly severe: 32 staffing incidents were logged on Friday, 63 on Saturday, and 51 on Sunday. Since the shutdown began, there have been 596 short-staffing triggers, more than six times the number recorded during the same period last year.
With the Senate agreement paving the way for a resolution, federal employees — including thousands of furloughed air traffic controllers and aviation safety personnel — are expected to return to work within days once the bill is finalized and signed. However, woes will not be over that rapidly.
Although the FAA has indicated that normal air traffic operations will resume swiftly after the shutdown officially ends, some experts warn it may take weeks to fully restore schedules and staffing levels across the nation’s busiest airports. With an eye on the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest time of the year for air transport.
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