Federal Aviation Administration

Nov. 26 (UPI) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro donned military fatigues, wielded Simon Bolivar’s sword and urged Venezuelans to defend the nation against U.S. aggression during a rally in Caracas.

Maduro held the rally in Caracas on Tuesday to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the nation’s liberation and told attendees that it is their duty to oppose foreign aggressors in the manner of Venezuelan hero Bolivar, who led a successful revolt against the Spanish, The Guardian reported.

The rally was held in response to the Trump administration’s military strikes against alleged drug traffickers and the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the Caribbean Sea near Venezuela.

“We have to be capable of defending every inch of this blessed land from any sort of imperialist threat or aggression, wherever it comes from,” Maduro said while holding Bolivar’s unsheathed sword in his right hand.

“I swear before our Lord Jesus Christ that I will give my all for the victory of Venezuela,” Maduro said.

The U.S. military has killed more than 80 while carrying out more than 20 aerial strikes on small vessels said to carry illicit drugs destined for the United States and Europe over the past four months, according to Time.

President Donald Trump also has accused Maduro of being a drug trafficker and a leader of the Cartel de los Soles, which the Trump administration on Monday designated as a foreign terrorist group, along with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which infiltrated the United States during the Biden administration.

The United States has placed a $50 million bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, and Trump has authorized the CIA to operate in Venezuela.

He also has threatened to drop leaflets over Venezuelan cities to encourage a revolt against Maduro, who has been accused of claiming victory in the nation’s 2024 presidential election despite exit polling strongly suggesting he lost.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday accused the United States of “bullying” Venezuela and expressed support for the nation and Maduro.

Iranian leaders have accused the Trump administration of trying to destabilize the governments of Iran and Venezuela and maintain close ties with Maduro and Venezuela.

The tensions between the United States and Venezuela prompted a cautionary notice regarding international flights in the region from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Many international airlines have canceled flights to Venezuela, which has some travelers stranded in Caracas.

Nov. 27 (UPI) — Post-holiday travel plans might be impacted by potentially dangerous weather sweeping through much of the northern United States through the weekend, while rainstorms soak southern states.

Storm systems in the Pacific Northwest and the Great Lakes region are making road travel more dangerous and could trigger flight delays and cancellations during what the Federal Aviation Administration said is the busiest Thanksgiving holiday travel since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 6 million travelers are expected to fly during the holiday travel period that officially runs from Tuesday evening through Sunday, NPR reported. Airports are operating at full capacity following the extended government shutdown.

Those traveling by plane on Thanksgiving day will mostly have good weather, but delays are expected in Buffalo, Cleveland, Syracuse, N.Y., Chicago and Seattle, according to the National Weather Service.

A winter storm made many roads impassable in North Dakota Tuesday night and into Wednesday, but those roads have reopened, including Interstates 94 and 29.

The storm system that caused those travel disruptions is moving east into the Great Lakes area, where a larger storm system is active and also moving eastward.

Seattle and other parts of the Pacific Northwest are seeing a storm system moving out of the area, but another is coming on its heels and could disrupt air and road travel through the weekend.

The storm system that is exiting the Pacific Northwest is moving into the northern Great Plains, which could bring more winter weather capable of making travel dangerous while causing flight delays and cancellations.

The NWS said travelers should expect delays or slower traffic on Saturday and Sunday, especially in the central United States on Saturday and in the east on Sunday.

Weather could affect flights at the Dallas-Fort Worth and Kansas City airports late Friday, and lake-effect snow could impact travel across the Great Lakes region.

Wrap-around snow showers also might affect travel in northern New England.

Further west, the NWS said Winter Storm Bellamy will expand as it exits Montana and moves into the Northern Plains. which will affect Black Friday travels in the Dakotas and south across the Missouri Valley.

The storm system will move into the Midwest by Saturday, where it could disrupt air travel in Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Kansas City, St. Louis and as far south as Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where heavy rains and thunderstorms are anticipated.

The Chicago-O’Hare International Airport will be especially vulnerable to weather-caused flight disruptions, according to the NWS. Thunderstorms could cause localized flash flooding in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Houston and the middle and lower Mississippi Valley.

On Sunday, the NWS said air travel might be affected in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Detroit, New Orleans, New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the nation’s capital.

Winter Storm Bellamy is expected to affect northeastern states and bring mostly rainfall to the I-95 corridor, which could affect air travel throughout the area.

Some snowfall and lake-effect snow are likely in the Great Lakes, while rain showers and thunderstorms could impact the Southeast, from Virginia and the Carolinas to the northern Gulf Coast.

The central and southern Rocky Mountains also might see significant amounts of snowfall that could move into the High Plains, moving from Colorado and western Kansas into northern New Mexico, as well as parts of the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma.

Rain showers also might affect travel in areas are far west as Arizona, the NWS said on Thursday.

Nov. 21 (UPI) — Bonuses of $10,000 will be awarded to 776 air traffic controllers and technicians with perfect attendance during the 43-day government shutdown.

The extra money was announced Thursday by Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford. The FAA is part of the Transportation Department.

“These patriotic men and women never missed a beat and kept the flying public safe throughout the shutdown,” Duffy said. “Democrats may not care about their financial well-being, but President Trump does. This award is an acknowledgement of their dedication and a heartfelt appreciation for going above and beyond in service to the nation.”

During the shutdown, essential workers, including those in air traffic control, worked without paychecks.

It ended on Nov. 12 with legislation to fund the government through January.

“I am profoundly proud and grateful for the air traffic personnel who worked during extraordinary operational challenges to keep the NAS running safely during the longest government shutdown,” Bedford said. “Their dedication represents the highest levels of public service.”

Absences caused delays and cancellations of flights, including mandated flight reductions at the largest 40 airports in the United States, which rose to 6%, though there were plans for 10% if the shutdown continued.

Some personnel were required to work six-day workweeks of 10 hours a day. They are on duty for a variety of shifts, including holidays.

Even before the shutdown, there were staffing shortages of air traffic controllers and other essential staff.

Last week, President Donald Trump mentioned the bonuses idea on Nov. 10 in a Truth Social post.

He also threatened to dock the pay of those who called out during the shutdown, telling them he was “NOT HAPPY” with them and “get back to work.”

Selected recipients will receive electronic notification next week, and their payments will be received no later than Dec. 9.

The two agencies didn’t say whether those taking planned vacations or fatigue calls will receive the bonuses, NBC News reported.

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which has been critical of staffing issues, said it was informed of the decision on cash bonuses hours before the announcement.

Of these receiving bosses, 311 are represented by NATCA.

“We look forward to working with the Administration to provide the appropriate recognition to those not covered by the Secretary’s announcement,” the union, which represents more than 20,000 air industry workers, said in a statement to CNBC.

The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, which represents 11,000 FAA and Defense Department workers, including technicians, said it is “reviewing the information that has been provided by the FAA and is evaluating how best to ensure that all employees who worked during the shutdown are recognized.”

That union said 423 will get the bonus. In all, it said 6,000 worked without pay.

“It took many hands to ensure that not one delay during the historic 43-day shutdown was attributed to equipment or system failures,” PASS said in a statement.

There are about 14,000 air traffic controllers in the United States. The median salary for the position, including ones not with the FAA, was $144,580, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Salaries start at $55,000 to $68,000, depending on location.

They work in control towers, approach control facilities or en-route centers.

Also, there are about 3,400 trainees, including 1,000 initially at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City.

The mandatory retirement age is 56.

Also last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Transportation Security Administration officers who screen passengers at airports would also receive $10,000 bonuses for perfect attendance.

“Despite tremendous personal, operational and financial challenges, these dedicated officers showed up to work every day for more than a month, without pay, ensuring the American people could travel safely,” DHS said in a press release.

Nov. 16 (UPI) — Emergency flight reductions ordered at 40 major U.S. airports by the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this month will be lifted Monday morning, federal officials announced Sunday.

The flight reduction emergency order will be terminated at 6 a.m. Monday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a joint statement.

Since Nov. 7, the FAA has been enforcing an ordered 10% reduction in flights at 40 U.S. airports due to staffing shortages at air-traffic control facilities that were being exacerbated by the government shutdown, which began Oct. 1.

Amid the shutdown, millions of passengers were affected by the thousands of canceled and delayed flights, and officials warned the disruption could get worse heading into the upcoming holiday season if Congress failed to act on passing a government funding bill in time.

That bill was passed last week, and the government shutdown — the longest in U.S. history — ended Nov. 12.

According to the FAA, since the resumption of normal government operations, staffing levels at air-traffic controller facilities have continued to “snap back,” with this weekend seeing five staffing triggers Friday, eight on Saturday and only one on Sunday compared to a high of 81 on Nov. 8.

“Now we can refocus our efforts on surging controller hiring and building the brand-new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system the American people deserve,” Duffy said.

Nov. 14 (UPI) — Federal authorities on Friday lowered the mandatory flight reductions at 40 of the nation’s busiest airports to 3% as of Saturday morning.

The Transportation Department and Federal Aviation Administration announced the change on Friday and after lowering the mandatory flight reductions to 6% at the same airports because the federal shutdown has ended and more airports are sufficiently staffed.

“The decision reflects improvements in air traffic controller staffing levels and a continued decline in staffing-trigger events across the National Airspace System,” the DOT and FAA said Friday in a news release.

The 3% staffing reduction will remain in effect while the FAA monitors the national air traffic system through the weekend and determines whether normal operations can resume as early as Monday.

The FAA reported only three staffing triggers on Friday, which is down from a record high of 81 on Nov. 8.

A staffing trigger refers to airports that have fewer air. traffic controllers available to safely conduct normal operations.

The staffing triggers compel the FAA to reduce flights at respective airports or impose other restrictions to help ensure safety.

Many air traffic controllers called in sick or quit and accepted other jobs as the record 43-day federal government shutdown prevented them from being paid.

The new 3% flight reductions at the 40 airports take effect. at 6 a.m. local time.

The reduction in mandatory flight cuts at the nation’s busiest airports raises the potential for no flight reductions when the Thanksgiving holiday approaches on Nov. 27.

Thanksgiving traditionally is the busiest travel holiday, but mandated flight reductions due to the government shutdown raised the potential for chaotic holiday travel.

Nov. 11 (UPI) — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Tuesday warned that the crisis facing air travel in the United States, exasperated by the ongoing government shutdown, is going to get worse unless Congress acts.

Speaking to reporters at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Duffy said air travel will “radically slow down” as the country approaches the weekend if lawmakers don’t vote to approve legislation that is before the House to fund the government through January.

“You’re going to see this Friday, Saturday and Sunday — big disruption thus far — massively more disruption as we come into the weekend, if the government doesn’t open,” he said during the press conference.

The United States was grappling with a air traffic controller shortage before the government shutdown, but the situation deteriorated after federal funding lapsed, with most air traffic controllers required to work without pay.

On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a 4% reduction in flights at 40 airports, resulting in thousands of delayed and canceled flights.

The Transportation Department has seen what Duffy called “significant staffing shortages,” causing “very rough travel days” last weekend.

During the press conference, Duffy called on air traffic controllers to come into work, explaining that within 24 to 48 hours after the shutdown ends, they will receive 70% of their backpay and the remainder within a week.

“So I encourage all of them to come to work, to be patriots, and help navigate the airspace effectively for the American people,” he said.

On Monday night, the Senate passed legislation to end the record 42-day government shutdown, sending the bill to the House for consideration.

If passed by the House, it will go to the desk of President Donald Trump for his signature.

Nov. 11 (UPI) — Flight cancellations in the United States reached nearly 1,200 early Tuesday as the Federal Aviation Administration further reduced flights amid the record-breaking government shutdown.

The flight reductions increased from the 5% imposed Friday to 6% Tuesday. Those figures were expected to further increase to 8% on Thursday and 10% on Friday, according to The Hill.

Flight tracking website FlightAware said there were 1,194 cancellations within, into or out of the United States as of 11 a.m. EST. There were slightly more delays — 1,239.

The site’s so-called MiseryMap shows the greatest numbers of flight disruptions at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, LaGuardia Airport in New York City, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Boston Logan International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Chicago-area airports faced extra complications this week after heavy snowfall led to some cancellations Monday. Light snow continued early Tuesday, ABC News reported.

The FAA ordered dozens of airports to reduce both private and commercial flights to accommodate for a growing number of air traffic controllers missing work amid the government shutdown and lack of pay.

The shutdown, which reached its 42nd day Tuesday, could be on its way to a resolution after the Senate approved bipartisan legislation to temporarily fund the government Monday. The House must now vote on the legislation before it can be sent to President Donald Trump‘s desk for a signature.

Nov. 10 (UPI) — Several thousand flights were again canceled or delayed Monday as the Federal Aviation Administration cut down on service because of air traffic controller shortages amid the longest federal government shutdown.

Staff members who show up for work are not being paid, which has led to fatigue despite the need to be alert, Transportation Secretary Duffy said. Some are tired because they are working second jobs to bring in money as the shutdown entered its 41st day.

Since Friday, the FAA has ordered a 4% reduction in flights at 40 major airports, which has caused a ripple effect at smaller locations.

There were 2,747 cancellations and 8,337 delays involving U.S. Airports through 8 p.m. Monday, according to FlightAware.

On Sunday, there were 3,498 cancellations and 11,231 delays involving U.S. airports. The first two days there aren’t as many: 1,526 cancellations and 7,016 delays Friday, and 1,944 cancellations and 7,545 delays on Saturday.

The cancellations and delays were not just because of work shortages but also due to bad weather and equipment issues.

Chicago’s O’Hare International and Midway International were affected by a major snowstorm.

At O’Hare, the second busiest airport in the nation, 321 departures, or 23% of flights, were canceled, and 314 arrivals, or 22%, were canceled. There were more than 1,000 delays of total incoming and outgoing flights.

Delays averaged more than 6 hours at O’Hare.

One couple decided to drive to the Chicago area from New Orleans because their flight was canceled.

Grace Butler and her boyfriend were stranded on Interstate 57 near Onarga, Ill., for two hours Monday morning.

“No visibility, road is covered with snow and ice. Have lived in Chicago my whole life and never seen a blizzard this bad,” Butler told CNN.

The much smaller Midway had 73, or 22%, departure cancellations, and 53, or 15%, arrival delays.

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the largest airport in the nation, had the second-most arrival cancellations: 150, or 12%. The departures were the third-most, 82, or 6%.

LaGuardia Airport in New York had the second-most departure cancellations at 86, or 15%, with arrivals the second most at 86 or 15%.

Other highly affected airports were Boston Logan International, Newark International in New Jersey, Dallas-Fort Worth International.

The various FAA locations: control centers, high-altitude flights and Terminal Radar Approach Control have been affected.

Duffy and his boss, President Donald Trump, said it is vital for them to show up for work despite not getting paid.

Trump demanded they “get back to work, NOW” in a post Monday on Truth Social.

“Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’ For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country.”

And those who didn’t work “will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record.”

Duffy reposted Trump’s item.

“To those who have worked throughout the shutdown — thank you for your patriotism and commitment to keeping our skies safe,” Duffy posted on X. “I will work with Congress to reward your commitment.”

But he admitted to CNN on Sunday: “It’s going to be harder for me to come back after the shutdown and have more controllers controlling the airspace. So this is going to live on in air travel well beyond the timeframe that this government opens back up.”

The leader of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said it is a bad situation.

“The fatigue has led to the erosion of safety and the increased risk every day that this shutdown drags on,” Nick Daniels, president of the association, said at a news conference Monday. “If you want to know what the real fallout of this shutdown is, it’s not a budget line, it is the smallest and the most dangerous shift of all — when the most disciplined safety workforce in America is forced to think about survival instead of public safety.”

He added: “Air traffic controllers must show up day in and day out, fully prepared to handle the stress, pressure and the weight of their responsibilities to the American flying public and their safety. But now they must focus on child care instead of traffic flows, food for their families instead of runway separation.”

David Seymour, American Airlines’ chief operating officer, said the disruption is not acceptable and the workers should be paid rather than getting back pay after the shutdown ends.

“This is simply unacceptable, and everyone deserves better,” Seymour said in a letter to employees that was obtained by CBS News. “Our air traffic controllers deserve to be paid and our airline needs to be able to operate at a level of predictability and dependability that no major airline was able to provide the flying public this weekend.”

Nov. 10 (UPI) — The Federal Aviation Administration on has imposed restrictions on private flights at 12 major U.S. airports, a business aviation trade group said.

The new rule — called a Notice to Airmen, or NOTAM — bans all non-scheduled operations at the 12 airports, which “will effectively prohibit business aviation operations,” the National Business Aviation Association said in a statement Sunday. The restrictions went into effect at midnight Sunday.

The organization said the move “disproportionately” impacts private flights, “an industry that creates more than a million jobs, generates $340 billion in economic impact and supports humanitarian flights every day.”

The announcement comes amid shortages in air traffic controller staffing in response to the federal government shutdown. At 41 days Monday, it’s the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

Commercial airlines began cutting flights Friday after the FAA ordered a 5% reduction in traffic at 40 major airports in the United States. The government said the restrictions will increase to 10% by Friday if a resolution isn’t passed to fund and reopen the government by then.

It may not get to that point, however, after the Senate on Sunday voted to advance a proposal that, if passed by Congress, would fund the government through January.

NBAA President and CEO Ed Belen said the announcement Sunday “underscores the need to reopen the government to serve all Americans.”

“NBAA stands with the rest of the aviation community in calling upon Congress to end the shutdown immediately, and for the NOTAMs to be repealed when the government opens,” he added.

The NBAA said the new restrictions apply to private flights at:

— Chicago O’Hare International Airport

— Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

— Denver International Airport

— General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport in Boston

— George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston

— Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

— John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City

— Los Angeles International Airport

— Newark Liberty International Airport

— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

— Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

— Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Nov. 9 (UPI) — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Sunday that Thanksgiving air travel would slow considerably.

Amid the continued federal government shutdown and upcoming travel season, he also said that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered military reserves of air traffic controllers to help mitigate the shutdown-linked staffing shortage.

As of early Sunday morning, more than 1,100 flights had been canceled, which follows more than 1,500 that were cancelled and 6,4000 that were delayed, ABC reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to cut flights by 10% by Nov. 14 to mitigate air safety concerns amid the shortage of air traffic controllers.

Duffy said in an interview with “Fox News Sunday” that Hegseth texted him Saturday with the offer, but that he did not know if the air traffic controllers could be deployed.

“But he’ll step in and try to provide some relief in the skies,” Duffy said. “We’re trying to minimize the pain for the American people.”

Duffy said that he anticipated “very few” air traffic controllers showing up for work over the holiday, choosing to be with their families as they continue to work unpaid.

The federal government shutdown that began on Oct. 1 has entered its sixth week, becoming the longest in U.S. history, as lawmakers in Washington remain at an impasse over funding for the new fiscal year.

The stalemate is over expiring healthcare tax credits from the Affordable Care Act. Democrats want to extend these subsidies before reopening the government, while Republicans refuse to discuss policy until a funding bill passes.

The funding lapse has led to the furlough of hundreds of thousands of federal employees and is forcing many others, including military personnel and air traffic controllers, to work without pay. But many air traffic controllers have chosen not to appear for work.

Disruptions have deepened nationwide, including slowdowns at airports, closures of national parks and cultural institutions and growing uncertainty over food assistance programs for millions of Americans.

“I think we have to be honest about where this is going,” Duffy said. “It doesn’t get better, it gets worse until these air traffic controllers are going to be paid.”

Nov. 7 (UPI) — A 4% reduction in flights took effect Friday after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered the reduction to ease stress on air traffic controllers during the federal government shutdown.

About 1,000 flights across 40 airports were canceled Friday. There also are delays amid controller shortages with flight reductions at the mandated airports by the Federal Aviation Administration. A 10% reduction is planned for next Friday.

Through Friday night nationwide, there have been 1,494 cancellations and 5,543 flight delays, according to FlightAware. The most cancellations were at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport: 83 departures at 18% and 75 arrivals at 16%. This includes ones not linked to tower staffing issues, such as equipment problems or weather.

Flights were delayed an average of four hours tonight heading to Reagan, according to the FAA. There were 148 arriving delays, or 32% of flights, and 204 departure delays, or 45%.

United Airlines and American Airlines announced they have cut their flights by 4% for Saturday. This means 220 for American, which has the most flights, and 168 for United the third-biggest airline.

Delta Airlines, with the second-most flights, didn’t announce plans but canceled 170 on Friday.

And Southwest Airlines said about 100 flights will be canceled Saturday.

Control towers at several airports Friday are facing staffing shortages, including in San Francisco, Atlanta and others, CNN reported.

On Friday, there were staffing shortages at nine towers; 12 at TRACONs, which handle flights arriving or departing airports; and eight at the Air Route Traffic Control Center that handle flights at high altitudes.

USA Today reported that Duffy told Democrats who criticized his decision to cut flights, “Open the damn government.”

The federal government has been closed since Oct. 1, and the shutdown is now the longest in history at 38 days.

The staffing shortage is getting worse because air traffic controllers are quitting, said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, to CNN.

“Controllers are resigning every day now because of the prolonged nature of the shutdown,” Daniels said. “We’re also 400 controllers short – shorter than we were in the 2019 shutdown.”

Daniels told CNN that controllers have to be “perfect” at work, and financial concerns can cause issues with their concentration.

“We are always being used as a political pawn during a government shutdown,” Daniels said. “We are the rope in a tug-of-war game.”

In one city, pilots have stepped in to help. At North Las Vegas Airport, a group of pilots delivered food and supplies for controllers and their families.

“I’ve been in the situation where I’ve had an in-flight emergency, and the air traffic controllers make a difference,” pilot Jeffrey Lustick told CNN affiliate KTNV. “They help you get to the ground safely. They alert people that you need help … air traffic controllers save lives.”

The pilots have made two deliveries to the controllers.

“The relationship between air traffic controllers and pilots is one of trust … they have to be able to survive, and we want them to stay here and continue to provide support to our community,” he said.

Airlines will decide which flights to cancel based on revenue, Michael Taylor, senior travel advisor at JD Power, told USA Today.

“All these airlines have shareholders, and their job as managers is to maximize revenue and margin and profit to the airline sales and keep your airline stock up,” Taylor said. “So they’re going to start first at looking – if you want 10% reduction in number of aircraft, well then we will cut those markets out that we’re not going to make the most money.”

There are other considerations, such as crew and aircraft placement, Taylor said. But the money is the bottom line.

“It won’t seem to travelers that there’s any rhyme or reason to it at all. It’ll seem random, but what’s really driving it is someone in corporate headquarters saying, ‘OK, you want the number of aircraft lowered? Fine. I’ve got to keep my revenue high. I’m going to take out the ones I don’t make any money on. It’s as simple as that,'” Taylor added.

Some travelers are making multiple backup plans, including different days and routes.

“What I’m worried about is getting to Houston in time for a procedure that’s been scheduled for quite some time and there’s some urgency,” Neil Lyon told CNN about flying from Santa Fe, N.M. I’m dealing with this, and I’m just thinking about the tens of thousands, or millions, who are dealing with other really serious circumstances that are impacted by what the situation is.”

Nov. 4 (UPI) — At least three died and 11 were injured when a UPS aircraft crashed while taking off from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport early Tuesday night.

The numbers of dead and injured are expected to grow, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported.

The UPS aircraft crashed while taking off from the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport early Tuesday evening, causing the airport to close temporarily.

UPS Flight 2976 took off shortly after 5 p.m. EST and was bound for Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The National Transportation Safety Board will be leading the official investigation into the crash and UPS will release additional facts as they become available, the company said in a prepared statement.

The aircraft crashed while attempting to climb and exploded upon impact with the ground, which created a fire that spread about a mile and produced thick plumes of black and gray smoke, WLKY reported.

The Louisville Metropolitan Police Department said the crash has caused injuries, but how many are hurt and the extent of their injuries are not known yet.

The aircraft involved in the crash is a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, which is powered by three Pratt & Whitney PW4460 engines, each of which produces up to 60,000 pounds of thrust, according to the Delta Flight Museum.

The commercial jet has a range of up to 8,460 miles, a wingspan of more than 169 feet and is more than 200 feet long.

The aircraft was fully fueled for its long flight to Honolulu, which contributed to the large fire that spread to a nearby recycling center and other facilities, according to WLKY.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has been notified of the crash and is en route to the airport.

“We are aware of a reported plane crash near Louisville International Airport,” Beshear posted on social media, as reported by ABC News.

“First responders are on-site, and we will share more information as available,” Beshear added. “Please pray for the pilots, crew and everyone affected.”

While the airport is closed, Transportation Security Administration screenings are halted.

Passengers who are scheduled to depart from or arrive at the airport on Tuesday or Wednesday are advised to check on their respective flight statuses.

Update includes the number of dead and injured reported as of 8 p.m. EST.

Nov. 2 (UPI) — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday that the government shutdown, now in its sixth week, would continue to cause flight delays, cancellations and closures amid air traffic control staffing shortages across the country.

“We will delay, we will cancel any kind of flights across the national airspace to make sure people are safe,” Duffy warned during an appearance on ABC’s “This Week.”

Duffy ‘s comments came during a ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport Sunday, which he said could spread to airports nationwide the longer the shutdown dragged on.

As few as 20 flights per hour were arriving at Newark late Sunday afternoon, local media reported. Delays averaged about two hours Sunday, but some flights were more than three hours late.

“There is a level of risk that gets injected into the system when we have a controller that’s doing two jobs instead of one,” he continued.

Nearly half of all major air traffic control centers are already facing staffing shortages across the country, which prompted a flurry of airport closures, ground stops or long flight delays, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The FAA’s real time website shows Boston’s Logan Airport and Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas closed Sunday, ground tops at Chicago’s O’Hare, and major ground delays at LAX in Los Angeles and the San Francisco International Airport.

Duffy warned during his Sunday interview that the situation could deteriorate still further as the shutdown continues.

“If the government doesn’t open in the next week or two, we’ll look back as these were the good old days, not the bad days,” he cautioned.

He said the administration is considering “pulling in whatever dollars we can” when asked whether there are other funding sources to pay the costs associated with air traffic control facilities and employees.

Federal law requires air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration, along with some other government employees, to work without pay during the duration of the shutdown.

“They have to make a decision,” Duffy said. “Do I go to work and not get a paycheck and not put food on the table, or do I drive for Uber or DoorDash or wait tables?”

Nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers are working with no compensation amid the shutdown. Washington lawmakers are at an impasse of a GOP-led budget bill, which has failed a Senate vote a dozen times.

Democrats are holding out for an extension of Biden-era premium subsidies that make health insurance more affordable on the federal marketplace.