Almost 900 flights were canceled nationwide Wednesday morning, hours ahead of a vote in the House that could end the more than 40-day government shutdown.
A total of 888 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled Wednesday, according to data from FlightAware’s tracking system. Another 720 trips were delayed, according to the website.
Airline passengers have experienced an uptick in flight interruptions at airports across the country in recent days after the Federal Aviation Administration announced earlier this month that due to staffing shortages amid the shutdown, operations at many airports throughout the U.S. needed to be reduced.
A record number of air traffic controllers have retired or called out during the lapse in funding, as many were required to work without pay for weeks. The controller system was already experiencing technology and staffing issues ahead of the shutdown.
Senators approved a stopgap funding plan on Monday in a 60-40 vote ensuring that military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the legislative branch are funded through the end of next September. The rest of the federal government, if the legislation is passed by the House, will remain afloat until a new deadline: Jan. 30.
