Flight cancellations ease with end to the shutdown

The Department of Transportation late Wednesday froze flight cuts it imposed lower than per week ago as air travel disruptions eased across the U.S., hours before the longest government shutdown ended.

The department implemented the freeze before the House approved a funding bill that might keep the federal government open through January. President Donald Trump signed the bill on Wednesday, the White House said.

On Wednesday, 816 U.S. departures were canceled, 3.5% of airlines’ schedule, the bottom rate and variety of cancellations since last Thursday, in accordance with aviation data firm Cirium.

The shutdown again put air travel within the highlight and heightened strains on air traffic controllers, who’ve been required to work without receiving their frequently scheduled paychecks. The DOT said Wednesday night in an announcement that there was a “rapid decline” in callouts from controllers within the last two days.

Trump administration officials on Friday began requiring airlines to trim their schedules, citing safety risks and extra strain on controllers. The required cancellations rose from 4% of domestic flights at U.S. airports to six% on Tuesday, blaming increased strain on air traffic controllers. They might have increased to 10% by Friday, but DOT froze the increases on Wednesday night.

However the cuts weren’t enough to avoid further disruptions that were worsened by widespread staffing shortages and bad weather, resulting in an influx of cancellations and delays last weekend.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” that the shutdown could have a financial impact on the carrier but it surely would not come near wiping out the airline’s profits. He warned that he thinks there can be one other shutdown in some unspecified time in the future and said air traffic controllers ought to be paid if that happens.

U.S. airline shares were up broadly on Wednesday before the House vote.

Thin air traffic controller staffing has been on the rise throughout the shutdown that began Oct. 1, resulting in hundreds of flights being slowed or altogether canceled and disrupting travel plans of 5 million passengers, in accordance with Airlines for America, an industry group that represents the most important U.S. carriers. Some air traffic controllers were forced to take second jobs to make ends meet, the controllers’ union and government officials have said.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and major airlines this week warned that air travel won’t immediately snap back to normal even after the shutdown.

“We will wait to see the info on our end before we take out the restrictions in travel but it surely relies on controllers coming back to work,” Duffy said at a news conference at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday.