U.S. air traffic could ‘slow to a trickle’ over Thanksgiving if shutdown continues, transport secretary says

More than 1,700 flights were cancelled and nearly 5,000 delayed by Sunday afternoon.

Air traffic in the U.S. could “slow to a trickle” if the federal government shutdown lingers into the busy Thanksgiving travel holiday season, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday.

The Federal Aviation Administration last week ordered flight cuts at the nation’s busiest airports as some air traffic controllers, who have gone unpaid for nearly a month, have stopped showing up for work.

The reductions started Friday at four per cent and will increase to 10 per cent by Nov. 14. They are in effect from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time and will impact all commercial airlines.

On Sunday, more than 1,700 flights were cancelled as of 1:30 p.m. Eastern time and nearly 5,000 flights were delayed, accord