As a result, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday ordered a 10% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, and starting Friday it will no longer be “business as usual” for airlines. Barry Biffle, CEO of Frontier Airlines, suggested that passengers book backup tickets with another airline a now-deleted LinkedIn message. As the Trump administration continues the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, there are no longer enough unpaid air traffic controllers to safely maintain commercial airspace.
It is completely unheard of that an airline executive would ever suggest spending money on a competitor. Biffle wrote: “Flights will be shortened from Friday due to ATC occupancy. If you are flying on Friday or in the next ten days and need to be there or don’t want to be stranded, I strongly recommend booking a backup ticket with another airline.” The CEO is then said to warn that there is a good chance he will be left stranded if the cuts come into effect on Friday, before apologizing for the impending operational debacle.
The Big Three try to prevent panic among passengers
The FAA’s mandate to reduce the number of flights is an aid to preventing a disaster caused by understaffed air traffic control facilities. According to Reutersthe 10% reduction will not take effect all at once, and international flights will be exempt. The order will start at 4% on Friday and will gradually increase next week to the indicated maximum. The only more extreme measure would be for the federal government to close parts of the airspace to all traffic, something Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has threatened to do and blamed on Democrats.
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