Major US Airport Halts Operations Amid Ongoing Aviation Crisis
The United States aviation industry faces continued disruption as travel was temporarily paused at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, the largest airport in the Midwest, on Thursday. This development comes as the sector attempts to recover from the devastating effects of a historic government shutdown that crippled air traffic control operations across the nation.
FAA Implements Emergency Measures
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it had declared a ground stop at O'Hare due to volume issues, highlighting the ongoing challenges facing the nation's air travel network. This emergency measure occurred despite airlines expressing optimism about resuming normal operations at America's 40 busiest airports.
The FAA announced Wednesday night that airlines would not need to cut more than six percent of flights at these key airports, representing a significant improvement from previous projections. Originally, flight reductions were scheduled to increase to eight percent on Thursday and reach ten percent by Friday.
These drastic measures became necessary when numerous air traffic controllers missed work during the government shutdown while going without pay. The severe understaffing at airport towers and regional control centres prompted the flight reduction order due to legitimate safety concerns.
Staffing Crisis Creates Safety Concerns
The aviation industry already faced a critical shortage of several thousand controllers before the shutdown began. This existing deficit meant that even a small number of absences at specific locations created substantial operational problems and safety risks.
Officials from both the FAA and Transportation Department provided no updates Thursday morning regarding when they might lift the flight reduction order. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasised that any decision would rely entirely on safety data being closely monitored by FAA experts.
The staffing shortage reached its peak last Saturday when 81 different FAA facilities reported critically low worker levels, forcing airlines to implement additional flight cuts. However, by Thursday morning, the FAA reported no staffing warnings at airports or radar facilities nationwide.
Airlines Prepare for Recovery
Airlines remain confident they can restore normal operations within three to four days after the FAA lifts its order, though some aviation experts warn that problems could persist longer and potentially affect the crucial Thanksgiving travel period beginning next Friday.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom and Chief Operating Officer David Seymour informed employees in a letter that they're already observing improvements as controller staffing stabilised over the past day. They noted that travellers should experience fewer delays and cancellations on their travel days, even while additional flight reductions remain necessary until the FAA officially rescinds its order.
The Airlines for America trade group stated Thursday: "We are eager to resume normal operations over the next few days once the FAA gives clearance. We look forward to welcoming 31 million passengers—a new record—to our flights during the upcoming Thanksgiving travel period, beginning next Friday."
Financial Relief for Unpaid Workers
Secretary Duffy confirmed that controllers and other FAA employees should receive 70 percent of their back pay within 24-48 hours of the shutdown ending, with the remainder coming in subsequent paychecks. This financial relief comes after many employees sought second jobs to make ends meet during the prolonged government closure.
There were discussions about providing $10,000 bonuses to both air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officers who worked during the shutdown. Duffy suggested these bonuses might only go to controllers who never missed a shift, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated she planned to reward any officers who went "above and beyond" while working without pay.
The American Airlines executives expressed confidence that their contingency planning would enable a rapid recovery and "deliver a strong Thanksgiving operation," acknowledging that millions of travellers "deserve the certainty" of reliable holiday travel arrangements.
