As the federal government shutdown forced unpaid air traffic controllers to take second jobs to cover their bills, the Federal Aviation Administration resorted to limiting flights at 40 major airports to reduce controller workload and maintain safety. Those facilities were allowed to return to normal operations on Monday. However, only two airports were complying with the emergency order when President Trump put Sharpie marker to paper to end the shutdown last Wednesday.
Disobeying the FAA’s emergency order carried the threat of a $75,000 fine for every flight over the capacity limit. The mandated cuts began at 4% and were slated to rise to 10% by last Friday, but the agency froze cuts at 6% on Wednesday when the shutdown ended. According to the New York Times, Newark Liberty International Airport and Portland International Airport were the only facilities that met restrictions imposed by the emergency order. When Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford started phasing out cuts, the situation didn’t get any better. By Sunday, no airport complied with a mandated 3% reduction in flights.
Airlines Might Not Face Repercussions For Flouting Order
In the FAA’s announcement of the emergency order’s termination, the agency acknowledged that it’s aware of “reports of non-compliance by carriers over the course of the emergency order.” The FAA stated that it will review and assess enforcement options, despite having previously prescribed a $75,000 civil penalty when the order was imposed. Admittedly, I would try to brush this entire crisis under the rug if my presidential administration nearly collapsed commercial air travel over refusing to extend healthcare subsidies.
While eight Senate Democrats threw in the towel last week, the Trump administration made it blatantly clear what their breaking point would be. The week of Thanksgiving is the busiest period for commercial air travel of the year. Secretary Duffy went on CNN and said, “You’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle.” While the White House was willing to halt SNAP benefits to food-insecure Americans, it wasn’t willing to rile the feathers of the airlines and the flying public.
