U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a stark warning on Tuesday regarding the potential closure of parts of the national airspace if the ongoing government shutdown extends for another week. As the shutdown stretches into its 35th day due to a stalemate over government funding, air travel is experiencing increasing chaos, with serious implications for both travelers and the airline industry.
Air traffic controllers and airport security screeners have been forced to work without pay, resulting in significant staffing shortages that have bolstered the number of flight delays and increased wait times for security checks. The shutdown, which began on October 1, has reportedly led to over 3.2 million passengers experiencing disruptions, with industry leaders raising alarms over the deteriorating situation.
“If you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it,” Duffy warned during a press conference. These statements represent the administration’s most alarming warnings about the potential impacts of rising absences among air traffic controllers.
In response to Duffy’s comments, shares in major airlines such as Southwest, Delta, United, and American Airlines dropped between 3% and 5%. While airlines claim that the shutdown has not yet severely affected their overall business, they caution that continued delays could jeopardize future bookings, especially with the busy holiday travel season approaching.
The situation has compounded previous challenges within the aviation sector. In recent days, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that between 20% and 40% of controllers at several major airports are failing to show up for work, prompting the FAA to impose delays at several airports, including in Phoenix and Houston.
Passenger experiences have also been negatively impacted, as evidenced by long waits at security checkpoints, with reports of delays exceeding three hours at airports in cities like San Diego and Houston. Current circumstances echo the turmoil faced during the 35-day government shutdown in 2019, when significant disruptions forced lawmakers to reach an agreement in a bid to restore normalcy.
Political tensions surrounding the shutdown persist, with Democrats blaming Republicans for the impasse. The ongoing deadlock not only affects federal employees—in this case, over 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers—but also places added pressure on the entire airspace management system.
Despite these obstacles, there is hope that negotiations could soon lead to a resolution that restores effective air travel operations. The dedication of air traffic controllers and the airline industry’s efforts to communicate their challenges serve as a reminder of the importance of effective governance and its impact on critical services such as air travel. As the situation evolves, the urgency for a timely resolution becomes increasingly clear.