Ease of flight cancellations with end of lockdown in sight

Flight cancellations plummeted across the United States on Wednesday ahead of the House of Representatives’ vote on a funding bill that could end the longest federal government shutdown in history.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives could vote around 7 p.m. ET on the bill, which passed the Senate earlier this week. The lockdown has once again put the spotlight on air travel and increased pressures on air traffic controllers, who have been asked to work without receiving their regularly scheduled salaries.

On Wednesday, 811 departures were canceled in the United States, or 3.5% of the airline schedule, the lowest rate since last Thursday, according to aviation data company Cirium.

Trump administration officials on Friday began asking airlines to reduce their schedules, citing safety risks and additional pressure on controllers. But the cuts were not enough to avoid further disruptions exacerbated by widespread staff shortages and bad weather, which led to an influx of cancellations and delays last weekend.

Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” that the closure would have a financial impact on the carrier but would not come close to eliminating the airline’s profits. He warned that he believes there will be another shutdown at some point, and said air traffic controllers should be paid if that happens.

US airline stocks rose broadly on Wednesday ahead of the House vote.

Air traffic controller staffing surged during the shutdown that began Oct. 1, slowing thousands of flights or canceling them altogether and disrupting the travel plans of five million passengers, according to Airlines for America, an industry group that represents the largest U.S. airlines. The air traffic controllers union and government officials said some air traffic controllers had to take second jobs to make ends meet.

Transport Minister Sean Duffy and major airlines warned this week that air travel would not immediately return to normal even after the lockdown.

“We will wait to see the data on our side before we remove travel restrictions, but it depends on the controllers returning to work,” Duffy said at a news conference at Chicago O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday.