The U.S. government shutdown is beginning to affect the aviation sector, raising concerns for Caribbean tourism.
The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered airlines to scale back operations at 40 major airports, including Miami, Atlanta, and New York — key hubs for travelers heading to destinations such as Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica, and Barbados.
Air traffic controllers continue to work without pay, and airlines have started trimming short-haul domestic routes that connect passengers to international flights.
The FAA plans to gradually reduce flight capacity by up to 10 percent over the next week. About 780 flights, or 3 percent of Friday’s 25,000 scheduled departures, were canceled, though most travelers were rebooked on other flights, according to aviation data firm Cirium.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at [email protected]
Airfare’s already high, and now this could make it worse if airlines start trimming routes.
Tourism drives our foreign exchange. If visitors can’t get here easily, it affects the entire economy from taxi drivers to restaurants
We’ve seen this before when the U.S. aviation system slows down, our regional flights get caught in the ripple. It’s like a domino effect.
780 flights canceled out of 25,000 doesn’t sound too bad, but it’s the timing and connections that matter.
This is worrying. Most of our visitors come through Miami or New York. Even if the cancellations are small now, it could affect weekend arrivals and hotel check-ins.
A potential U.S. government shutdown could spell trouble for Caribbean travel, with expected delays in visa processing, flight operations, and tourism spending if federal services are disrupted.
Comments are closed.