Hundreds of scheduled passenger flights in the US were canceled today amid a partial federal government shutdown and a shortage of air traffic controllers, flight tracking site FlightAware reported, DPA reported, BTA reported.
According to the platform, nearly 1,500 domestic and international flights have been canceled, and over 8,600 have been delayed. Over the weekend, more than 4,500 flights were canceled at home and abroad.
The disruptions are the result of a confrontation between Democrats and Republicans in Congress over the budget, which has paralyzed much of the federal government. The country has been in a state of emergency for more than 40 days.
Although the Senate voted late last night to begin consideration of a temporary funding measure approved by the House of Representatives, it is only the first step towards ending the longest government shutdown in US history.
Much of the regular work of the government remains paralyzed, with many federal employees not receiving salaries, including air traffic controllers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN that between 15 and 20 controllers are retiring every day due to lack of pay, compared to an average of four per day under normal circumstances.
The activities of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and airport ground staff are also affected.