If U.S. air travel became unsafe due to the government shutdown, then the Trump administration would close the U.S. aviation system, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said Monday. He said flights could be stopped nationwide to protect public safety.
Duffy’s comments come at a time when the busiest travel day of the year is quickly approaching, as the Thanksgiving holiday is weeks away.
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Duffy appeared on CNBC’s Squawk Box Monday morning, saying we will be seeing more delays and cancellations amid staffing shortages.
“So that’s the consistent question I get, ‘Is the system safe?’” Duffy said. “And you see more delays, you see more cancellations of flights and that’s because we slow traffic down because we don’t have enough controllers in the towers and TRACONs to make sure we can navigate the flights, so that’s a tool we have to keep the system safe.”
Flight delays surge nationwide
As of 5 p.m. EST Monday, the U.S. saw more than 16,000 flight delays for the day — and a total of 578 cancellations, according to FlightAware.
The Federal Aviation Administration also issued ground delays Monday for three major airports in Texas: Austin-Bergstrom Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth and Dallas Love Field.
On Friday in New York, 80% of air traffic controllers did not show up for work, according to the FAA.
The agency attributed slowdowns and delays to a surge in callouts by air traffic controllers — who’ve been working without pay since the government shutdown began Oct. 1.
“The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travelers can avoid further disruptions and delays,” the FAA posted on X.
“As we continue to reiterate, we will never compromise on safety. When staffing shortages occur, the FAA will reduce the flow of air traffic to maintain safety. This may result in delays or cancellations.”
Shutdown adds risk to aviation system
Duffy said anytime there’s a shutdown, it adds more risk to the system. Employees are working without pay, leading to fatigue, stress and staffing shortages.
The system was already dealing with a shortage of 3,000 controllers before the shutdown, according to Duffy.
If controllers call out of work, workloads increase for those who do show up, making the overall air travel system less safe and more prone to disruptions.
“Does it introduce another element of risk? If I have a controller doing two jobs, and by the way they’re certified, they’re able to do both of those jobs, but is there more risk in the system when you have a shutdown?” Duffy asked. “Absolutely, there’s more risk. But if we thought it was unsafe, we again, we would shut the whole air space down. We won’t let people travel. We’re not there at this point, it’s just significant delays.”
