Washington. Airlines in the United States have been severely disrupted due to the ongoing government shutdown. As of Saturday evening alone, American airlines had canceled more than 2,500 flights over the weekend as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered them to curtail air traffic. Passengers at the country’s major airports are in a state of panic as the government shutdown shows no sign of an end.

The chaos at the country’s busiest airports has deepened the impact of the long-running federal shutdown. Complaints from passengers are increasing. “We all have to go somewhere,” said Amy Holguin, a 36-year-old from Miami, who was visiting family in the Dominican Republic. I hope the government will resolve it soon. ’

Analysts say that if cancellations continue to rise, the situation could get worse in the coming Thanksgiving week, affecting not only air transport but the economy as a whole. Tourism and holiday shipments have already been negatively affected.

More than 1,500 flights were cancelled on Saturday alone, according to flight tracking website FlightAware. The previous day, the number had reached one thousand. American Airlines said it had canceled more than 1,000 flights for Sunday. Disruptions were reported throughout the day at Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, North Carolina and Newark airports. A lack of air controllers, especially at airports around New York, has led to increased delays and cancellations.

The FAA initially cut flights to 40 major airports across all commercial airlines by four percent. As of Friday, it had risen to 10 percent. Flight cuts are expected to increase again on Tuesday.

Transport Minister Sean Duffy has warned that more air traffic controllers could refuse to work without pay if the government shutdown continues, which could lead to further flight cuts.

The controllers have been working without pay for almost a month. Most of the employees have not been able to report to work on the pretext of illness. According to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, most controllers are forced to work overtime for six days a week without pay, and some have to take second jobs to pay their bills.

The union said it had sent 1,600 handwritten letters to members of the US Congress on Saturday calling for an end to the federal shutdown. Many passengers who had cancelled flights were relieved to see Friday’s schedule return to normal, but they are waiting a long time to rebook. Longer international flights have not yet been affected, but passengers are worried about the uncertainty.

“It’s stressful,” said Heather Zoo, 46, from Miami, who had to return to Puerto Rico after a cruise ride on Saturday. In addition, such obstacles make everything more difficult. ’

Rental vehicle companies have reported a sharp increase in one-way reservations. Some passengers are canceling flights and opting for alternative travel options.

Diana Alvier of New Jersey has canceled family plans to visit her mother-in-law in California next weekend. She has expressed concern about flight safety due to a lack of controllers and long working hours. “We had to cancel the flight. United Airlines refunded the ticket, but Airbnb did not refund nearly $700,” she said. ’

Experts have warned that flight cancellations will not only affect passengers but also other sectors of the economy. Since nearly half of America’s air cargo is carried in the belly of passenger planes, shipping disruptions could drive up prices in the market.

Syracuse University’s supply chain expert Prof. According to Patrick Penfield, the higher shipping costs will eventually be passed on to consumers if major airlines are affected.

Greg Rife, chief executive of Elevate Aviation Group, said the shutdown would not only affect cargo planes and business passengers, but also the entire tourism industry and the city’s revenue. Hotel and local tax revenue will also fall. As long as the government shutdown continues, it is certain that the flight disruption and its impact will continue to deepen.