Over 1,700 flights already canceled this weekend as FAA ‘ramps up’ cuts & travel sec warns Thanksgiving will be impacted

OVER 1,700 flights have already been canceled across the country this weekend as officials warn Thanksgiving will be hit by travel chaos.

It comes as the US endures its longest government shutdown in history and federal aviation officials order 40 major airports to slash services due to staffing shortages.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has vowed on X to “keep the skies safe” by using every tactic at his disposal, which he said will see travelers increasingly hit with delays and cancelations.

On Friday he warned that even if the government shutdown ended now, Thanksgiving air travel would still be impacted.

“So if the government opens on Day 1, will I see an immediate response from controllers? No, the union is telling me it’s going to take time to get them all back in,” Duffy told CNN.

At the time of writing, the number of canceled flights for today alone already stands at 957, according to FlightAware, and at least 8,442 are delayed.

Sunday already has at least 838 flight cancelations and 213 delays.

Duffy confirmed in a joint statement with the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday that cuts to services will increase across this weekend and into next week.

“We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.

“The FAA will continue to closely monitor operations, and we will not hesitate to take further action to make sure air travel remains safe.”

The statement noted a 4% cut in operations on Friday, “ramping up to 6% by November 11, 8% by November 13, and 10% by November 14”.

This percentage of cuts could rise to 15% or 20% if the government shutdown does not end “relatively soon,” Duffy warned when speaking to Fox News.

Major airlines have already tried to do damage control by announcing cancelations ahead of time.

On Friday, American Airlines told CNN it would cut 220 flights from its Saturday services.

United Airlines confirmed hundreds of cuts across the weekend through to Tuesday, and Southwest has axed approximately 100 flights on Saturday and 150 on Sunday.

Travelers caught up in the chaos have described the carnage awaiting them at the airports with people lying on floors and sleeping where they can while hoping to hear news of their flights.

Travelers should check with their airline for the latest updates on their flights.

Meanwhile, tourism officials are urging both Republicans and Democrats to end the stalemate that began on October 1 as they fear catastrophic economic blows.

Hawaii in particular is in danger of unique harm, officials have warned Duffy, as the islands are hit with the enforced cuts but with little alternative for health care, commerce, or security.

“We strongly urge federal leaders to reach an immediate resolution,” Hawaiian Airlines said while thanking the air traffic controllers and TSA officers keeping airports running without pay.

And officials in Las Vegas, which is already suffering from a tourism hole, have warned that the shutdown and airport cuts have happened at the worst possible time.

The U.S. Travel Association joined by MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, The Venetian, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority wrote a letter urging Congress to take action now to end the shutdown.

They warned that the travel industry has already lost $4 billion and that the economic situation will only worsen as Americans and travelers from abroad rethink their trips.

Retailers are also preparing to feel the impact just as holiday season hits as supply chain officials warn that a large amount of cargo is carried on commercial flights.

“Forty percent to 50% of all air freight is shipped in the belly of passenger planes,” Patrick Penfield, a Syracuse University professor of supply chain practice told NBC News.

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“If you eliminate 10% of airline capacity, air freight prices will rise, and we could see delays in getting materials via air.”

The shutdown has entered its 38th day and no end is in sight after Senate Republicans rejected an offer by the Democrats on Friday to reopen with a health care deal.