Transportation Secretary Warns U.S. May Close Certain Airspace if Government Shutdown Continues
According to the FAA, half of the agency's core facilities experienced staffing shortages over the weekend
NEED TO KNOW
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned certain parts of the U.S. airspace may close if the government shutdown continues
- According to the FAA, last weekend saw staff shortages at half of the agency's core air traffic control facilities
- The warning comes as the country enters the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history
The U.S. Department of Transportation may shut down certain portions of the country's airspace next week if the government shutdown continues, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
"You will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays, you’ll see mass cancellations," Duffy said, "and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers."
The warning comes as the country enters the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history — reaching day 36 on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Congress failed to pass a funding measure on Oct. 1, marking the first shutdown since 2019, during President Donald Trump's first term. As a result, almost 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for weeks, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Heading into last weekend, half of the agency's core 30 facilities experienced staffing shortages and 80% of air traffic controllers in New York-area facilities were absent.
According to CNN’s analysis of the FAA’s operation plans between Friday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 2, there were 98 “staffing trigger” reports. These can include rerouting planes or delaying flights when there are not enough controllers.
“People always ask me, ‘Is the system safe?’ ” Duffy said. “I would tell you, ‘Yes, the system’s safe and if it wasn’t, we would shut it down.’ We delay flights. We tell airlines to cancel flights if we don’t have enough controllers.”
He added: “But with this shutdown, it would be dishonest to say that more risk is not injected into the system. There is more risk in the system.”
On Oct. 28, federal workers received their first $0 paycheck for two weeks of unpaid work.
“These hardworking Americans have bills to pay and they’re being forced to make decisions and choices. Do they go work as an air traffic controller or do they find a different job to get resources, money, to put food on their table, to put gas in their car?” Duffy said. “As every day goes by, I think the problem is going to only get worse, not better.”
Footage taken by a traveler at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport this week and obtained by PEOPLE shows crowds of passengers backed up as the airport experienced significant wait times for airport security.
One user on X claimed they waited “four-and-a-half hours" to get through, causing them to miss their flight on Sunday, Nov. 2.
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“We sincerely thank our passengers for arriving early and for their patience and flexibility during this challenging time," director of aviation for Houston Airport Jim Szczesniak said in a statement. "The federal government shutdown has impacted TSA staffing and operations nationwide, AND Houston Airports is doing everything possible to support our TSA partners and keep passengers moving safely and efficiently.”
