SUNDAY marked the worst day of travel since the start of the federal government shutdown as a whopping 2,800 flights were cancelled and 10,000 were delayed.
Officials are warning that conditions will only worsen as the headache-inducing effects of the spending freeze reach new heights.
Travelers braced for historic chaos after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the 40 busiest airports in the US to reduce schedules by 10% starting Friday.
New York, Chicago, and Atlanta were among the major cities affected by the cuts.
On Sunday, more than 200 flights were cancelled at the country’s busiest airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, alone.
According to Airlines for America, a trade group that represents major US airlines, more than 4 million flyers have been disrupted since the beginning of October, The Washington Post reported.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight cuts were inevitable, as air traffic controllers who were working without pay are calling out at much higher rates.
He said essential air traffic employees are opting for secondary jobs to make some cash and pay their bills.
On Sunday, Duffy said the flight chaos is “only going to get worse” and fears that holiday travel will be affected.
“The two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel being reduced to a trickle,” he told CNN.
When asked how many travelers would be affected on Turkey Day, Duffy said, “The number is going to be substantial.”
Duffy also warned that the spending freeze isn’t the sole cause of the air travel crisis.