US airline flight cancellations fall as air traffic absences shrink

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. flight cancellations have fallen sharply over the last day as air traffic control absences have shrunk just hours before the House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill Wednesday to end a record-setting government shutdown.

Airlines in the United States have canceled nearly 900 flights Wednesday -- the lowest in six days -- under a Federal Aviation Administration requirement they cancel 6% of flights at the 40 busiest airports to address safety concerns. Some airlines told Reuters they think the FAA will reduce a planned 8% flight cut on Thursday to 6%. Air traffic control absences accounted for just 1% of delays on Tuesday, compared with 5% on average before the shutdown, the FAA said.



(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul)