US government shutdown effects air transportation
(MENAFN) The US transportation secretary has warned that flight disruptions across the country are likely to intensify as air traffic controllers — still working without pay due to the ongoing government shutdown — increasingly take on second jobs or call in sick.
“The controllers are wearing thin,” Sean Duffy said during an interview on Fox News, noting that staff shortages have already forced some flights on the Californian coast to be grounded.
Since the government shutdown began on 1 October, air traffic controllers, classified as essential personnel, have been required to keep working despite not receiving salaries. The resulting financial strain has led to more absences, causing airports to slow or halt air traffic — compounding delays already caused by poor weather and other logistical issues.
More than 3,000 flights were delayed across the US on Sunday alone, and Duffy cautioned that conditions are likely to deteriorate further. “I am seeing the stress,” he said, explaining that many controllers have been “looking for second jobs, driving Uber, or finding other ways to make ends meet.”
According to Duffy, there were 22 airport alerts on Saturday citing staff shortages — one of the highest numbers recorded since the shutdown began.
The shutdown, now in its 26th day, is the second-longest in US history. Duffy has repeatedly warned that regulators may be forced to limit the number of planes in the air if staffing levels drop too low to ensure safety.
When asked directly whether flying remains safe, Duffy avoided a definitive answer, instead appealing to the struggling workforce: “I need my controllers focused on the airspace, not on the finances at home.”
Staffing shortages led to temporary groundings at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sunday morning, affecting one of the busiest travel hubs in the US and causing ripple effects at other airports, including Oakland. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an alert at 08:45 local time, though most flights resumed normal schedules before noon.
At Newark Liberty International Airport, average delays reached 82 minutes due to insufficient staffing, while the FAA warned that Dallas Fort Worth International Airport — the nation’s second-busiest — could experience similar disruptions later in the day. Travelers in California were advised to check with their airlines for updated departure information.
The timing is particularly challenging, coming just ahead of Game 3 of the World Series in Los Angeles and only weeks before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel periods in the US.
Strain on the aviation system previously helped end the 2019 government shutdown, when widespread absences among controllers led to temporary halts at major airports such as New York’s LaGuardia. That same day, then-President Donald Trump signed a short-term spending bill, ending the 35-day standoff — the longest in US history.
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