US airlines cancel over 1,000 flights for second straight day largely due to govt shutdown   

US airlines again cancelled more than 1,000 flights on Saturday, the second day of the Federal Aviation Administration's mandate to reduce air traffic because of the government shutdown.

So far, the slowdown at many of the nation's busiest airports hasn't caused widespread disruptions. But it has deepened the impact felt by the nation's longest federal shutdown.

“We all travel. We all have somewhere to be,” said Emmy Holguin, 36, who was flying from Miami on Saturday to see family in the Dominican Republic. “I'm hoping that the government can take care of this.”

Analysts warn that the upheaval will intensify and spread far beyond air travel if cancellations keep growing and reach into Thanksgiving week.

Already there are concerns about the squeeze on tourism destinations and holiday shipping.

Here's what to know about the flight reductions:

How many flights have been cancelled

Flight disruptions ticked up a bit on Saturday — typically a slow travel day — as each of the first two days creeped above 1,000 cancellations, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks flights.

The airport serving Charlotte, North Carolina, was the hardest hit early on Saturday, with 130 arriving and departing flights cancelled by mid-afternoon.

Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, and Newark, New Jersey, also saw numerous disruptions. Ongoing staffing shortages in radar centres and control towers added to the cancellations and delays on Saturday at several East Coast airports, including those around New York City.

Not all the cancellations were due to the FAA order, and those numbers represent just a small portion of the overall flights nationwide. But they are certain to rise in the coming days if the slowdown continues.

The FAA said the reductions impacting all commercial airlines are starting at 4 per cent of flights at 40 targeted airports and will be bumped up again on Tuesday before hitting 10 per cent of flights on Friday.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned this week that even more flight cuts might be needed if the government shutdown continues and more air traffic controllers are off the job.

Why are flights being cancelled

Air traffic controllers have gone without paycheques for nearly a month as the shutdown continues, leading many to call in sick and add to already existing staffing shortages.

Most controllers are working mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, and some are taking second jobs to pay their bills, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association has said.

How are passengers being affected

Most were relieved to find that airlines largely stayed on schedule on Friday, and those whose flights were called off were able to quickly rebook. So far, longer international flights haven't been interrupted.

There is still a lot of uncertainty about what flights will be cancelled next.

And not everyone has the means to pay for a hotel or deal with a last-minute disruption, said Heather Xu, 46, who was in Miami on Saturday after a cruise and flying home to Puerto Rico.

“Travel is stressful enough. Then you put these disruptions in place and it really makes everything more challenging,” she said.

Rental car companies reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations on Friday, and some people are simply cancelling flights altogether.