U.S. surpassed 10K flight delays, most disruptions on a single day since government shutdown

Travelers across the United States scrambled to reach their destinations as thousands of flights were delayed or canceled on Sunday, the third day of government-mandated flight cuts at 40 high-traffic airports during the ongoing shutdown.

As of 10 p.m. on Sunday, more than 10,000 flights within, into, or out of the United States had been delayed, according to FlightAware, the most disruptions on a single day since the government shutdown began. More than 3,200 flights were canceled for the day.

Some disruptions and delays were reported during the first two days of cuts. Still, uncertainty looms as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight cancellations would grow if the government shutdown continued, telling CNN that flights could be reduced to a “trickle” ahead of the busy holiday season.

Late Sunday, a group of Senate Democrats struck an agreement with congressional Republicans and the White House, two sources familiar with the matter told USA TODAY. It was the first time in more than a month that congressional Republicans succeeded in persuading a sizable number of their colleagues across the aisle to join them in supporting a shutdown off-ramp.

‘If we get stuck here, that’s OK’

As they waited for their snowboards at Denver International Airport to start a weeklong ski trip, Kat and TJ Leahy said they almost looked forward to having to stay in Colorado longer if their return flight to Tampa, Florida, gets canceled.

The couple had considered taking their vacation in Greece. But with bad weather in Europe, TJ Leahy said he saw a Breckenridge resort had opened for the season and bought last-minute tickets.

“If we get stuck here, that’s OK,” Kat Leahy said. “I’ve got all my stuff, and if I call my boss and stay I’m stuck in Colorado they’ll understand.”

How many flights have been canceled since FAA cuts took effect?

More than 5,300 flights have been canceled across the nation since the Federal Aviation Administration began restricting flight capacity at 40 major airports on Friday due to the ongoing government shutdown.

Each day since the FAA’s order has been in place, airlines have canceled over 1,000 flights. FlightAware data shows 1,025 cancellations on Friday and 1,566 on Saturday for flights “within, into, or out of the United States.”

By around 10 p.m. on Sunday, the data shows 2,788 daily flights have been canceled, which is the most cancellations recorded since the FAA cuts began.

FAA reports staffing issues at 12 air traffic control towers

A growing number of air traffic controllers have retired since the federal shutdown started on Oct. 1, Duffy said.

The FAA is 1,000 to 2,000 controllers short of full staffing, Duffy told CNN. Earlier on Sunday, the FAA said it had staffing issues at 12 towers.

“I paid experienced controllers to stay on the job and not retire,” Duffy said. “I used to have about four controllers retire a day before the shutdown … now up to 15 to 20 a day are retiring.”

Airlines warn of additional travel disruptions

In a statement on Sunday, Delta Air Lines said it was continuing to comply with the FAA’s order and had completed all planned flight cancellations through Tuesday. But the airline warned that additional air traffic control staffing shortages and resulting delay programs would cause further delays and cancellations on Sunday.

“Including the impact of additional pressure late Saturday affecting Delta’s Sunday operational start-up, there are more than 320 Delta mainline and 150 Delta Connection cancellations on Nov. 9 as of 12:00 p.m. ET, with more expected,” the airline said. “Canceling a flight is always a last resort after all options have been exhausted.”

FlightAware data showed that Delta had canceled over 560 flights and delayed more than 1,200 by 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Southwest Airlines previously said it reduced its flight schedule through Monday by about 4% across 34 airports. By 10 p.m. Sunday, the airline canceled over 220 flights and delayed more than 1,800 flights.

United Airlines has said it will cut 190 flights on Monday and 269 on Tuesday. On Sunday, FlightAware data shows that the airline had nearly 200 canceled flights and over 1,000 delays.

National Economic Council director: Decrease in holiday travel could impact US economic growth

The impact on air travel could hit U.S. economic growth, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.

“Thanksgiving time is one of the hottest times of the year for the economy… and if people aren’t traveling at that moment, then we really could be looking at a negative quarter for the fourth quarter,” Hassett told the CBS show “Face the Nation.”

Airlines for America, which represents major carriers, estimated a daily U.S. economic impact of $285 million to $580 million by next Friday.

‘Better than I had expected’

At Denver International Airport – the nation’s third-busiest – FlightAware showed more than 60 departures canceled on Sunday. Departure boards indicated they were largely to smaller airports like nearby Colorado Springs but also included Las Vegas.

United, Southwest, and Frontier have significant operations at the airport.

Delta passenger Eric Rivard, arriving on a flight from Minneapolis for a two-week visit with friends, said everything went smoothly for him. Rivard said he didn’t let the possibility of flight cancellations deter his travel. Inside the airport, security lines moved smoothly and there were no obvious signs of the cancellations.

“I was here two weeks ago and it was just the same now,” Rivard said. “It was great. Actually, better than I had expected.”

Trade group: Millions of passengers affected by shutdown cancellations, delays

Airport staffing issues caused by the government shutdown have disrupted more than 4 million passengers across the nation since Oct. 1, according to the trade group Airlines for America.

The group represents passenger and cargo carriers, including JetBlue, Southwest, United, Delta, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, FedEx, and UPS.

Airlines for America said air traffic control staffing issues led it to cancel only 11 flights in the first 29 days of the shutdown. In the last nine days, airlines have canceled 1,271 flights, including 752 related to the FAA directive.

The cancellations have led to a slew of other issues, too, that airlines say will prolong recovery after the shutdown has ended, citing “crew legality issues” and “equipment mispositioning.”

How to contact customer service for Delta, United, other airlines

Most airlines are contacting passengers whose flights have been canceled via email or through their smartphone apps, but each has slightly different procedures for what customers should do when their flights are canceled.

Here’s how to contact your airline if your flight has been canceled:

Delta Airlines: Delta asks customers to look on their website, delta.com, or app, Fly Delta, to find updated information about their flight before heading to the airport. Customers with a canceled flight will be contacted via email, text or through the app, and will be offered a rebooking for the “next-best itinerary,” the airline said. If you have any questions, call Delta’s customer service at: 1 (800) 221-1212

United Airlines: United recommends customers use the United app for updates and rebooking options. The airline is offering all travelers, including those whose flights have not been impacted by the FAA cancellations, full refunds if they choose to cancel. If you have questions, call United customer service at 1-800-864-8331 or text “UNITED” to 32050.

Southwest Airlines: Southwest Airlines said it has notified customers whose flights have been canceled through Nov. 12. Like other carriers, it urges passengers to check the Southwest website and app for further updates. If your flight has been canceled, Southwest said in most cases, it will automatically rebook you on another flight. If the itinerary doesn’t work, you can rebook the flight or cancel for a full refund. The airline asks passengers to cancel their reservations at least 10 minutes before their new flight’s scheduled departure. Customers can call Southwest for more information at 1-800-435-9792.

JetBlue: JetBlue also said it is rebooking most passengers whose flights have been canceled as a result of the FAA cuts. The airline said it is reaching out to passengers using the contact information in their reservation. Passengers can check their flight status and current refund and fee reduction offers on the carrier’s website. For more information, JetBlue’s customer service number is 1-800-538-2583.

Transportation secretary issues warning: ‘It’s only going to get worse’

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned in an interview that air travel will only continue to get worse, as the country sees more government-mandated flight cancellations on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Appearing on CNN, Duffy spoke of the continued crisis hitting the country’s airlines and airports. He cautioned that Americans should brace for conditions to worsen as the peak holiday travel season begins

“It’s only going to get worse,” he said. “I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle.”

Over 1,000 flights were canceled across the United States by the afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 8, according to FlightAware data. Flightaware reported more than 1,100 had already been canceled for Sunday, Nov. 9.

“We have a number of people who want to get home for the holidays, they want to see their families, they want to celebrate this great American holiday,” Duffy said. “Listen, many of them are not going to be able to get on an airplane, because there are not going to be that many flights that fly unless this thing doesn’t open back up.”