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More than 1,500 flights were canceled by airlines across the nation on Monday (November 10), setting a new record for the ongoing longest government shutdown in U.S. history as it reaches its 41st day, the New York Post reports.
An estimated 11% of incoming flights and 5% outgoing flights, which totaled more than 200 flights, were canceled at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest in the United States, as of 8:00 a.m. local time, according to the flight tracking app FlightAware. More than 300 flights in and out of Chicago O'Hare International Airport and more than 100 in and out of Chicago Midway International Airport were also canceled Monday morning, according to FlightAware.
More than 1,300 delays were also reported among flights within, into or out of the United States Monday morning. Hundreds of flights in the U.S. were canceled last Friday (November 7) with Federal Aviation Administration reductions going into effect.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the decision was made to combat the "fatigue" facing air traffic controllers who have now been working without pay since the government shutdown began on October 1. The agreement reached by a group of Democrat and Republican senators that could result in the end of the government shutdown cleared its first hurdle, passing on a 60-40 Senate vote late Sunday (November 9), NBC News reports.
If approved, the agreement would then need to pass the House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Donald Trump to reopen the government. CNN initially reported that a group of at least eight Senate centrist Democrats reportedly reached a deal with Senate GOP leaders and the White House to reopen the government in exchange for a future vote on extending enhanced Affordable Care subsidies, citing two sources with director knowledge of the discussions.
The government shutdown has reached 41 days, setting the record for the longest in American history. The previous record of 35 days was set during Trump's first of two non-consecutive administrations in 2019.