MOSCOW, Nov 9 : More than 5,000 flights in the United States were either cancelled or delayed on Saturday amid the ongoing government shutdown, according to data from the online flight-tracking service FlightAware.
Earlier in the day, the service had reported 3,207 affected flights. By the evening, FlightAware recorded a total of 4,356 delays for domestic and international flights, along with 1,038 cancellations, bringing the total number of disrupted flights to 5,394.
US Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News that the number of delays and cancellations is expected to rise as the shutdown continues.
On Friday, NBC News reported that around 700 flights had been cancelled, citing several American carriers.
US authorities have since announced plans to reduce the total number of flights by 10 percent due to the shutdown. President Donald Trump defended the measure as “a necessity to ensure 100 percent security.”
The shutdown began after Congress failed to agree on a federal budget for the new fiscal year, which started on October 1. As a result, several government agencies funded directly by Congress have been forced to halt operations, a recurring issue in US politics.
President Trump has said he may use the shutdown period to implement mass layoffs and spending cuts, blaming Democrats for the budget impasse and describing the situation as an opportunity to eliminate programs opposed by Republicans.
Meanwhile, Kevin Hassett, Director of the White House National Economic Council, warned on October 5 that a prolonged shutdown could result in GDP losses of up to USD 15 billion per week.
(UNI)
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