WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Federal Aviation Administration began cutting hundreds of daily flights as the historic government shutdown continues, causing thousands of delays and hundreds of cancellations nationwide.
On Friday, nearly 20,000 flights were delayed with at least 1,400 cancellations across the country, according to FlightAware.
WATCH BELOW: Florida lawmakers share thoughts on reduced flight, ongoing shutdown
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that restrictions could increase next week as staffing shortages create safety concerns.
"It is not a science, it is an art that we're trying to deploy to keep people safe in the airspace, and we're trying to be trying to prevent the pressure that we now see building in the system," Duffy said.
The FAA is grounding 10% of flights at 40 of the nation's busiest airports, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York, Atlanta and Charlotte.
Government workers in air traffic control and TSA are working without pay during the shutdown, leading to further delays as they struggle to make it into work.
TSA Officer William Watts expressed the financial strain many federal employees are facing.
"I'm not getting paid, so I can't come to work," Watts said.
Richard Y. Newton III, a decorated military general who served in the United States Air Force for 34 years and was active during two previous government shutdowns, emphasized that safety remains the top priority.
"The first most important thing, though, is the safety of those air passengers," Newton said.
He described the challenges of operating during a shutdown as "extraordinary, challenging" because "we didn't have a budget, we couldn't really plan day to day or even week to week."
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U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., defended his party's position on the shutdown, stating that Republicans voted to fund the government.
WPTV asked him about the GOP's responsibility for the ongoing shutdown.
"None whatsoever. Again, I'll say it in this way. Brian Mast voted to fund the government," Mast said.
Mast acknowledged the severity of aviation safety concerns.
"There's no off-ramp in the sky. Things go wrong, and it's life or death," Mast said.
However, the shutdown is also affecting veterans' services, according to Mast.
"It's a really big deal for our veterans. Their benefits continue to come. But there are some people that work in the Veterans Health Administration, the veterans hospitals, that they're not getting their paychecks," Mast said.
We contacted U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., on the issue, who was at the airport in Washington, D.C., trying to reach colleagues on Capitol Hill.
"The Capitol was empty. It was just me," Frankel said.
Frankel criticized House leadership for the extended recess during the crisis.
"It's an embarrassment and a disgrace that our Speaker of the House has sent us away for seven weeks," Frankel said.
Frankel disputed Republican claims about funding the government, arguing their approach would harm Florida residents.
"When they say they voted to fund the government. Now, here's what they did. They voted to throw millions of Floridians off their health care, including hundreds of thousands of veterans. And so it's a misnomer for them to say they voted to fund the government. They voted to fund it the way they want to fund it. We've been out now for seven weeks. It's a disgrace," Frankel said.
Both lawmakers agreed that cooperation is necessary to end the shutdown.
"Always, you have to come to the table and end it," Mast said.
"We need to just be responsible people and sit down and talk it out," Frankel said.
Newton expressed hope for a resolution that prioritizes the American people.
"My hope is that the Senate and the House will get together, they'll decide on unifying this case for the good of the American people," Newton said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
