US airports continue to collapse due to the shutdown. More than 15 thousand flights were canceled and delayed in two days

Thousands of flights were delayed or canceled through November 8 at major US airports amid staffing shortages resulting from the ongoing government shutdown , Reuters reports.

According to him, about 1,500 flights were canceled and six thousand flights were delayed in the United States. The day before, on November 7, 1,025 flights were canceled at American airports and seven thousand were delayed.

Over two days, delays affected airports in 12 major US cities, including Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago and New York, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. At Atlanta, one of the busiest airports in the United States, flights were delayed an average of 282 minutes.

The FAA has ordered airlines to reduce daily flights by 4% starting Nov. 7 at 40 major airports due to air safety concerns. By November 11, the reduction in flights should increase to 6%, and by November 14 - to 10%.

• Due to the shutdown, which has lasted a record 39 days, about 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 security personnel have worked without pay, leading to increased absenteeism. According to the FAA, between 20% and 40% of controllers have not reported to work over the past few days. US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said he could demand a 20% cut in air travel if more air traffic controllers stop coming to work.
• Majority Leader in the US Senate John Thune said on November 8 that negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to end the shutdown look positive. However, the parties have not yet reached an agreement. The next Senate meeting on this issue is scheduled for November 9.
• The US economy is losing almost two billion dollars every week due to the shutdown.