Despite movement in Washington to end the government shutdown, the chaos at airports across the country continues.
There have been more than 30,000 delays and 7,000 cancellations since late last week. Airlines say the shutdown, which is now in its 42nd day, has disrupted trips for more than 5.2 million passengers.
All of the problems are reverberating at New York City-area airports, where passengers are having to cope with increasingly commonplace delays.
“People get hostile, people get angry, but I have a lot of patience. Yeah, I’m ready for it. I know I’m going to sit on the tarmac,” Newark Liberty International traveler Cindy Orr said.
Air traffic controllers have been working without pay because of the shutdown. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said many controllers have called out sick, prompting President Trump to call for withholding pay from those who do not show up and giving $10,000 bonuses to those who do.
The air traffic controllers’ union is defending its members working without receiving paychecks, saying controller shortages persisted before the shutdown.
6% flight cuts Tuesday, 10% by Friday
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to scrap even more flights — up to 6% on Tuesday, before reaching a 10% cut by Friday if the shutdown isn’t resolved. A funding bill to do so passed in the Senate on Monday and is now on its way to the House for a vote that could happen as soon as Wednesday, but even if the shutdown ends, travelers could still experience delays and cancellations in the days ahead.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he will only end the mandated flight cuts when it is safe to do so.
“I think it has been effective, but we are watching this on a daily basis. Where’s the data, because we’re trying to manage risk in the system to make sure people fly and people fly safely,” Duffy said. “Were going to start alleviating the restrictions that were at 6% now, we’ll alleviate that only when the data says we should.”
“It was just mass chaos”Â
All of this is happening with the holiday season just around the corner. CBS News New York spoke to travelers attempting to get to destinations at Newark Liberty on Tuesday.
“It was just mass chaos, sitting in chairs for like 13 hours,” traveler Anna Marie Hopkins said.
“That’s why I always pick the first flight of the day, too, because my experience has been that it’s least likely to get cancelled,” Rick Baldwin said.
“Two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle,” Duffy previously warned. Â
Private flights barred from JFK, Newark Liberty
John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty remained closed to private aircraft on Tuesday in an attempt to ease the pressure created by the shortage of air traffic controllers.
The move comes after many questioned why commercial flights were facing delays while private planes were still operating as normal.
Aviation expert Robert Clifford said Newark Liberty is not closed to emergency medical and law enforcement personnel, but added, “Private planes are excluded for now unless they get express permission.”
contributed to this report.