US airlines grapple with govt-mandated flight cuts amid staff shortages

Major airlines braced themselves for a third day of US government-mandated flight cuts on Nov 9 after rising air traffic control staffing shortages snarled thousands of flights on Nov 8.

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The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instructed airlines to cut 4 per cent of daily flights starting on Nov 7 at 40 major airports because of air traffic control safety concerns.

The US government shutdown, which has reached a record 40 days, has led to shortages of air traffic controllers who, like other federal employees, have not been paid for weeks.

Reductions in flights are mandated to reach 6 per cent on Nov 11 and then hit 10 per cent by Nov 14.