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Trump administration officials are warning about this Flight delays at US airports This will increase as the holidays approach and A solution to the ongoing federal government shutdown Seems out of reach.
with The shutdown is now in its 26th day. Tension points are beginning to appear in Washington It appears federal employees are on the verge of missing a second paycheck as bank accounts were hit over the weekend. This also includes air traffic controllers, who will miss their first full pay on October 28 if Republicans and Democrats in Washington do not reach a deal. Controllers received pay checks at the partial rate on October 15.
“This shutdown will have real consequences for these hard-working American patriots,” said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
“With each passing day, controllers become more distracted by the risk of receiving a zero-dollar paycheck on October 28, despite working 40 hours per week and, in many cases, mandatory overtime due to controller staffing shortages.”
Over the weekend, flight delays increased across the country. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox News that 22 staff shortages were reported at airports on Saturday and the number was more than 50 throughout the weekend, according to CNN. According to the network, there has been a four-fold increase in staffing delays since the beginning of October compared to the same period in 2024.
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, there is likely to be continued pressure on Congress to resolve those delays before millions of travelers are seriously impacted.
On Monday, delays were reported at several major airports, although it was initially unclear whether any delays were due to staffing shortages. Staff shortages were reported in both Washington DCA and Los Angeles on Sunday, resulting in ground delays of several hours.
During an interview on Fox News on Sunday, Duffy urged controllers to continue coming to work.
“My message to the controllers is, ‘Show up, this is your job. Ultimately, you’ll be paid.’ But there are some real-life situations that they’re facing with their families,” Duffy said. sunday morning promise Host Maria Bartiromo. Duffy said that during the shutdown, especially on bad days, up to half of all airlines’ delays could be due to staffing shortages.
Leading industry trade group Airlines for America is advising consumers to be patient at airports this holiday season as shutdowns continue. More than 2,300 delays were reported by midday Monday on FlightAware, a site that tracks daily flight delays and cancellations — though some may have been due to weather or other reasons.
Many of the country’s biggest airports have already faced sporadic problems. Chicago O’Hare Airport’s delay on Saturday was not related to the shutdown but stemmed from an equipment issue, but not before in October when a controller shortage delayed a 6:00 pm Tuesday takeoff at the nation’s fourth-busiest airport. The two biggest sources of delays as the week began on Monday were related to Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 hurricane currently bearing down on Jamaica and causing problems at two airports in Florida.
More than one in four American Airlines flights were delayed Sunday, according to FlightAware.
Airlines for America posted on Twitter: “It is safe to fly, but ATC staffing shortages strain the system and force flights far apart, slowing everything down. In some cases, flights may be delayed or even canceled.”
The transportation secretary also said Sunday that the FAA will reduce the volume and rate of flights arriving at airports if severe staffing shortages threaten passenger safety. The FAA last did this in 2019, when growing staffing shortages during the shutdown forced the agency to reroute flights and increase the space between landing and departing flights in some locations.
“My job is to keep the airspace safe. And so, if I don’t think I have enough controllers or enough controllers that are focused, we will slow traffic, we will stop traffic,” Duffy said.
Axios reported One air traffic controller, who remained anonymous to comment on the situation, said the weekend represented a financial crisis for thousands of controllers. The prospect of rent being due on November 1 has prompted many of them (and thousands of other federal employees) during the shutdown to look for other sources of income, such as driving for Uber and Doordash.
“The second one will potentially be one where people can’t live without money coming in,” the comptroller said. “Ultimately, people have to make humane decisions.”