Flight delays will get worse due to government shutdown, Sean Duffy warned
Despite the government's promise of payment, air traffic controllers are choosing to look for jobs to help cover daily expenses
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said air traffic controllers are “burning out” amid the current government shutdown and are already looking for second jobs, which will make matters worse.
Duffy described the federal government shutdown as having a significant impact on air traffic this Sunday, including at the International Airport Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) where operations were paralyzed for several hours.
In an interview with Fox News, Duffy said he has seen the stress among air traffic controllers with whom he is in conversations because they likely will not receive their pay next Tuesday if the government shutdown continues.
“Just yesterday… we had 22 personnel alerts. That is one of the highest levels we have seen in the system since the shutdown began,” the secretary explained.
“That is a sign that controllers are exhausted,” he added.
The transportation secretary added that air passengers should expect more delays this week. Last Thursday, Duffy said at a press conference that she couldn’t guarantee flights wouldn’t be delayed or canceled.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary grounding order Sunday morning at LAX, one of the world’s busiest airports, causing multiple flight delays and frustration among passengers.
According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware, nearly 2,000 flights within, to, or from the U.S. have been delayed as of Sunday, and more than 130 have been canceled. The Hill has reached out to the Federal Aviation Administration for information on the percentage of flights delayed or canceled due to staffing shortages.
The U.S. government shutdown has now lasted 26 days, making it the second-longest in history.
A group of Democratic members of Congress, including Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, along with Maryland Governor Wes Moore,They warned that the longer Republicans delay seeking a coordinated solution to the shutdown, the more air safety will be jeopardized.
The lawmakers warned that the longer the shutdown drags on, the greater the likelihood of disruptions like those that occurred in January 2019, which marked the turning point in the longest U.S. government shutdown on record at 35 days and forced the closure of New York's LaGuardia Airport.