At the moment, we’re seeing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reduce flight capacity in the United States, amid the longest government shutdown we’ve seen in history. There have been a lot of questions about the extent to which these flight cuts are political rather than being based on data, so along those lines, there are some noteworthy updates…
Sean Duffy struggles to justify approach to flight cuts
There’s no denying that our aviation system in the United States is under immense stress at the moment. I mean, it struggles under the best of circumstances, and with air traffic controllers now not getting paid for over a month, it’s leading to an increasing number of sick calls, as air traffic controllers can’t afford to come to work.
So I don’t think anyone denies that the current state of the system is challenging, and that this will get progressively messier. However, many people question the logic that the FAA is using to justify flight cuts, and wonder whether it’s really the best option for dealing with this situation.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had an interesting interview where he was questioned about the exact logic for the flight cuts. He consistently claims that all of these decisions are data driven, but that data is not being made available. We’re not just talking about not sharing the data with the public, but he also hasn’t shared the data with airlines, or even with Congress. Instead, he has committed to sharing it “later.”
For example, in an interview, Duffy was asked about how Rick Larson, the top Democrat on the Transportation Committee, said more transparency is needed, so Duffy was prompted to share a little more data. His answer was to deflect, and say that if people are worried about the data, they should instead open the government:
“I know he’s going to ask for the data, and if I have people who want to second guess what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, I’ve done all I can to minimize disruptions in the airspace. I’m trying to get people where they want to go and get them there safely. If people want to question us, I’d throw it back at them, open up the government.”
It sure seems to me that just requesting basic data shouldn’t be a huge ask. Duffy frames this all as him not having enough time to share all this data and instead being focused on keeping the skies safe, though he does have time to walk around Washington National Airport, asking people how the shutdown is impacting them (does that American Airlines customer service agent 77 seconds into the video seem like she wants to be on camera?!).
And apparently that’s only the beginning, because he’s going to be “traveling to airports across the country asking passengers how the shutdown is impacting their travels.” Is that really the best use of his time, when he doesn’t have time to share basic safety data?
The closest I’ve seen to Duffy providing data is him claiming that there has been an increase in the number of aircraft incursions in the air and on the ground. Is that actually accurate, particularly that there has been an increase in incursions on the ground? Maybe he’s just not communicating it well, but when he explains it, he doesn’t exactly sound confident in what he’s saying.
Airline executives skeptical of logic used for reducing flights
The Air Current does an amazing job with aviation reporting, and spoke to nine senior executives across six US airlines regarding their take on the flight reduction system. While they expressed varying degrees of skepticism, “none felt the cuts were without some level of political interference.” As The Air Current reports:
Yet absent the data behind its ‘data-driven’ justification, the agency’s argument for widespread disruption for airlines and the flying public boils down to trust us, which is especially problematic in light of how the aviation system has been used as a political cudgel during the second Trump Administration.
Now, while airline executives of course care about safety, they also care more about the financial impacts of flight reductions than the government does, so that is important to acknowledge.
But part of the issue is that there’s a trust deficit here. Just several days ago, Duffy had warned that US airspace could close next week if the shutdown continues. When someone is predicting (or threatening?) that, it’s hard to not on some level question the logic.
Bottom line
We’re seeing the FAA increasingly restrict flights at major US airports day after day, forcing airlines to cancel a large number of flights. Obviously our air travel system is under pressure given how long the government shutdown has dragged on, though the logic for the approach being taken is leaving many people confused.
It doesn’t exactly instill much confidence when the Transportation Secretary claims he has the data for making these decisions, but refuses to share it even with airlines or Congress. And when he’s questioned about not sharing the data, he says that if people are concerned about the data, they should instead reopen the government.
What do you make of the lack of data being shared about flight reductions?