Airline flights from Detroit will operate at reduced capacity as the longest government shutdownin U.S. history continues.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Thursday that 40 airports, including the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), will see a 10% flight reduction by November 14th.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the reason for the reduction was to maintain air traffic safety. Air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the shutdown, causing increasing staffing shortages, as more controllers than usual call in sick.
The FAA said reductions will be focused on regional and domestic flights, not international flights. But the uncertainty surrounding flights and the approaching holiday season has many DTW travelers worried.
Passenger David Baumann said he got to Detroit Metro earlier than usual because he didn’t know what was going to happen.
“It’s concerning,” he said. “I’ve got a friend of mine flying in from Texas, and I don’t know if her flight will leave on time, when it’s going to land, and once it does land how long will it be before it gets somewhere.”
Baumann said he was planning to fly to LA for Thanksgiving. Now, he’s driving instead. “It’s just easier."
Another DTW passenger, Linda Recktenwald, flew to Detroit from Kentucky to celebrate her birthday and visit her granddaughter. She said she almost didn’t book her flight because of the shutdown.
Recktenwald added that she was concerned about leaving from Louisville because of a deadly plane crash that happened there on Tuesday. “I got an alert on my phone and immediately turned on my TV,” she said. “And it was just devastating. It made me really fearful about flying.”
“This whole government shutdown is just ridiculous,” she continued. “It’s so devastating to so many people in this country. I don’t have words strong enough for the politicians in Washington.”
Recktenwald said the situation is terrible for families making travel plans for the holidays. “It’s hard to believe the shutdown is still going on,” she said.
Zach Heldt, who flew to Michigan for a vacation, said he’s seeing the shutdown affect more than just flights. Heldt works for a grocery store, and said he encounters many customers who now can’t buy groceries because they’re dependent on the federal government.
“I’ve just got some opinions of a certain individual in charge, who’s more concerned about building a ballroom than making sure Americans can be fed,” he said.
All of the travelers recognized the importance of the air traffic controllers that continue to work without pay. “They’re told that if they don’t show up to work someone may die, or a plane may crash,” Heldt said. “Their job is essential.”
Baumann said he applauds the workers for continuing to show up. “I read an article the other day about how a lot of them have had to take second jobs to try to get some income. And that’s extraordinarily difficult.”
Recktenwald said she was grateful her flight went smoothly, but worries that if the shutdown continues, airports will lose trained employees. “Everyone has bills to pay,” she said.
The government shutdown is the result of an impasse between Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate over health insurance.
Democrats say they will vote for federal spending bills if Republicans negotiate on restoring subsidies that help people afford ACA health insurance plans.
Republicans say the shutdown should end first, and bipartisan discussions about the impact of the loss of the subsidies can take place afterwards.
