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This week, airlines received a cautionary notice about an ongoing investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which may lead to significant penalties for non-compliance.
WASHINGTON — The FAA is scrutinizing whether airlines adhered to emergency flight reductions mandated during the unprecedentedly lengthy government shutdown last month.
According to a statement released on December 1, the FAA informed airlines that their investigation will focus on compliance with orders to curtail flights at the nation’s 40 most congested airports. This scrutiny targets carriers operating more than ten daily flights at these major hubs, the agency announced.
Airlines that did not observe the November 12 directive could incur penalties reaching $75,000 for each flight exceeding the stipulated limits. Initially, flight reductions were set at 4%, escalating to 6% before being lowered to 3%, as improvements in air traffic controller staffing were noted following the end of the shutdown on November 12.
The initial directive aimed for a 10% cut in air traffic, but this stringent measure was not implemented due to the shutdown’s resolution before its enforcement.
The agency did not disclose which airlines received the notice this week. But based on the FAA criteria, the U.S. carriers operating more than 10 daily flights at high-impact airports include Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Alaska Airlines and others.
Airlines were given 30 days to provide the FAA with evidence or statements showing compliance with the order.
The reductions were aimed at easing the burden on air traffic controllers, many of whom were working without pay or were unavailable due to the record 43-day government shutdown.
More than 10,000 flights were cut between Nov. 7, when the FAA’s order took effect, and when the restrictions were fully lifted on Nov. 16, less than two weeks before Thanksgiving, the busiest travel period in the U.S.
The lengthy government shutdown cost Delta Air Lines an estimated $200 million, CEO Ed Bastian said this week in the first disclosure by a U.S. airline regarding the shutdown’s financial impact.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
