A prolonged federal government shutdown in the United States has caused widespread disruption to domestic air travel.
Thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce flight capacity at many of the country’s busiest airports.
This Monday it emerged that more than 2 700 flights had been cancelled in a 24-hour period, with over 10 000 further delays reported nationwide.
The situation is expected to worsen during the Thanksgiving travel period, with serious repercussions predicted for the wide sector, especially parcel freight and delivery times ahead of Black Friday at the end of November.
The disruptions are also affecting air freight capacity, with reduced flight numbers impacting limited available freight space.
Logistics firms, including FedEx and UPS, are warning of capacity constraints and potential delays for time-sensitive shipments such as medical supplies and electronics.
Dedicated cargo flights face challenges too, with fewer passenger flights complementing their operations and some cargo aircraft grounded. This combination threatens to increase transit times and strain supply chains during the busy holiday season.
