By bizn_fun 
Flights to John F Kennedy and LaGuardia airports in New York were delayed by nearly three hours and an hour respectively, the FAA reported on Saturday afternoon. Other airports affected by lengthy delays inncluded Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching on 27 November, it’s one of the busiest travel seasons of the year in the US.
It’s not just commercial flights that have been affected. Restrictions on private jets are also in place, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a Saturday post on X.
“We’ve reduced their volume at high traffic airports – instead having private jets utilise smaller airports or airfields so busy controllers can focus on commercial aviation,” Duffy wrote. “That’s only fair.”
And things are likely to get worse in the coming days as the FAA cancels more flights.
On Thursday, the agency announced that the flight reductions would be gradual, starting at 4% of flights on Friday before rising to 6% by 11 November, 8% by 13 November, and the full 10% by 14 November.
The FAA said the cuts were necessary to maintain safety as air traffic controllers have been overworked during the shutdown.
As essential workers, the controllers are required to continue working without pay, and as a result, many have called in sick or taken on second jobs to afford necessities, unions say.