Transportation Secretary Duffy confirmed Monday the Trump administration would shut down U.S. aviation if the government shutdown created unsafe travel conditions.
“If we thought that it was unsafe… we’ll shut the whole airspace down. We won’t let people travel. We’re not there at this point. It’s just significant delays,” Duffy told CNBC in an interview, adding “absolutely there’s more risk” in the current situation.
United CEO Scott Kirby revealed last week that the ongoing shutdown is already hurting flight bookings, with airlines growing increasingly anxious about the approaching holiday rush.
Meanwhile, 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 TSA officers are showing up without paychecks as thousands of flights face delays. Duffy confirmed he won’t penalize controllers calling in sick, recognizing they’re simply “trying to put food on their families’ table,” while still appealing for everyone to come to work.
Passengers Facing a Gauntlet of Lines
As the government shutdown drags into its 34th day, air travel is feeling the squeeze. Air traffic controllers are increasingly calling out, triggering significant delays across U.S. airports. Meanwhile, travelers are stuck in security purgatory—San Diego and Houston airports have been hit particularly hard, with Houston Bush passengers enduring three-hour-plus security lines on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Friday saw nearly half of the 30 busiest U.S. airports facing air traffic controller shortages, resulting in 6,200+ flight delays and 500 cancellations, as reported by FlightAware. New York reported 80 percent controller absences, causing 65 percent of delays. Saturday had 4,600 delays and 173 cancellations, Sunday 5,800 delays and 244 cancellations, and Monday, Nov. 3 showed 750 delays and 54 cancellations by 9 a.m. ET.
Last week, Delta, United, Southwest, American Airlines and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association urged Congress to pass stop-gap funding to end the Oct. 1 government shutdown. As airlines raise the alarm on safety, the shutdown is worsening an already-existing controller staffing shortages—now 3,500 below target—with many already staffers working mandatory overtime before the shutdown began. Similar disruptions ended a 35-day shutdown in 2019.
As a side note, holiday travelers also may be facing higher ticket prices due to a shorter booking window.
U.S. Travel Warns of Thanksgiving Travel Chaos
The U.S. Travel Association, joined by nearly 500 organizations and companies representing every sector of the travel industry, today sent a letter to congressional leadership urging immediate action to reopen the government ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush.
“Air travel’s number one priority is safety and while safety will be maintained, travelers will pay a heavy and completely unnecessary price in terms of delays, cancelations and lost confidence in the air travel experience,” said Geoff Freeman, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO in a media statement.
Thanksgiving is an economic powerhouse, as the coalition’s letter emphasizes. With more than 20 million travelers taking flight during last year’s holiday week, the economic ripple effect is enormous. This yearly migration fuels billions in spending that breathes life into local economies across America, creating a vital lifeline for jobs, small businesses, and state tax coffers from coast to coast.
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