The U.S. federal government 'shutdown' entered its 38th day on the 7th, and over a thousand flights in the country were canceled that day. Secretary of Transportation Duffy said that if the 'shutdown' continues, the government may have to require airlines to cut as much as 20% of flights.
According to Xinhua News Agency, as of 16:59 Eastern Time on the 7th, data from a flight tracking website showed that 1,000 domestic and international flights in the U.S. had been canceled, four times higher than on the 6th. This number continued to rise. As of 17:30 Eastern Time, an additional 4,457 domestic and international flights in the U.S. had been delayed.
The American media described the Department of Transportation's move to reduce flights during the government 'shutdown' as 'unprecedented.' According to U.S. media, flight reductions began at 6 a.m. Eastern Time on the 7th, mainly affecting the four major U.S. airlines—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines—operating at major airports in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Newark, Denver, and others.
Since the 'shutdown' began, a shortage of air traffic controllers has caused severe flight delays and even cancellations. Duffy announced on the 5th that, starting on the 7th, capacity at 40 of the nation's busiest airports would be cut by 10%. On the 6th, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to gradually reduce domestic flights, first cutting 4% on the 7th; if the 'shutdown' continues, the reduction will rise to 6% by the 11th, and to 10% by the 14th.
In an interview with Fox News in Washington, D.C., on the 7th, Duffy stated that if the government 'shutdown' continues, the nationwide flight cancellation rate could rise to 15% or even 20%.