Bay Area congressman calls for grounding of private jets amid shutdown

(BCN) — A Bay Area congressman is calling for the grounding of all non-essential private jet flights amid the federal government shutdown that has led to a shortage of air traffic controllers nationwide and prompted thousands of flight delays and cancellations for the general public.

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Fairfield) wrote in a letter sent Friday to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy calling for “immediate action to ensure that all luxury private jet operations are suspended before any reductions for commercial air travel are implemented.”

Duffy last week announced that airlines would have to decrease their number of flights by 10%, with the first increment starting on Friday at 40 airports across the country, while the federal shutdown continues.

There were more than 75 canceled flights Monday across five airports in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Monterey, according to the aviation data website FlightAware.

Garamendi’s letter said thousands have been canceled or delayed across the U.S.

The congressman’s letter noted that one in six flights handled by the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic controllers involve private jets.

“Potentially allowing luxury travel for the over 15,000 private jets in the country to proceed while working families struggle to get to their destinations sends a clear and unacceptable message: that the wealthy are playing by different rules,” Garamendi wrote.

He said that with the exception of aircraft used for agricultural, emergency or other essential public service purposes, “every available resource within the Federal Aviation Administration should be dedicated to maintaining safe, equitable air travel for the public.”

San Francisco International Airport and Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport are two of the airports on the FAA’s list of 40 high-traffic airports affected by the reductions.

Garamendi’s full letter about private jets can be found on the House website.

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