More than 2,800 domestic flights were cancelled in the United States on Sunday, as the country's transport secretary warned air traffic across the nation would "slow to a trickle" if the federal government shutdown lingered into the busy Thanksgiving travel season.
The slowdown at 40 of the nation's busiest airports worsened for the third day in a row, with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordering the cancellations after some air traffic controllers, who had gone unpaid for nearly a month, did not show up for work.
In addition, more than 10,200 flight delays were reported on Sunday alone, according to FlightAware, a website that tracks air travel disruptions.
Air traffic controller shortages across the US have disrupted more than 4 million passengers in a month. (AP: Ryan Sun)
More than 1,000 flights were cancelled on Friday, and more than 1,500 on Saturday.
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