Washington, Nov 11 (NationPress) - US airlines brace for another week marked by significant travel disruptions, despite the Senate progressing on a bill aimed at concluding the 41-day government shutdown. Over 1,500 flights have been cancelled, which is approximately 5.5 percent of all scheduled flights, as reported by flight tracking data.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that these cancellations and schedule cuts are necessary to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers, who have been working without compensation for over a month. Flight reductions are anticipated to escalate throughout the week, potentially reaching 6 percent on Tuesday, 8 percent on Thursday, and 10 percent on Friday.

Last weekend, nearly 5,000 flights were cancelled across the nation as restrictions at major airports came into effect, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Sunday experienced the highest disruption level, with 10 percent of all scheduled flights cancelled, marking it as the fourth-worst day for cancellations in the US this year.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that controllers who did not report to work would face penalties, although he did not clarify the nature of these penalties. He also suggested bonuses of $10,000 for those controllers who remained on duty throughout the shutdown.

“All Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn’t will be substantially ‘docked.’ For those Air Traffic Controllers who were GREAT PATRIOTS, and didn’t take ANY TIME OFF for the ‘Democrat Shutdown Hoax,’ I will be recommending a BONUS of $10,000 per person for distinguished service to our Country. For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off, even though everyone knew they would be paid, IN FULL, shortly into the future, I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” he stated on Truth Social.

In other news, the Trump administration informed the Supreme Court on Monday that it will persist with its legal efforts to retain full federal funding for food stamps during the shutdown.

This decision followed an appeals court's refusal to block a lower court’s order requiring the government to fully finance benefits for approximately 42 million Americans who depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

A judge in Massachusetts granted a temporary stay requested by more than two dozen states to prevent the federal government from executing that funding cut.

The bipartisan legislation in the Senate aims to reverse US President Donald Trump's dismissals of federal employees and secures food stamp funding through fiscal year 2026.

On Sunday, a coalition of eight Democratic Senators broke ranks with their party and voted to reopen the federal government.