Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the ongoing federal government shutdown will lead to more flight delays and cancellations as airport staff shortages worsen nationwide.
In an interview with ABC News, Duffy said further flight schedule adjustments were necessary to protect public safety.
Duffy Warns of Worsening Flight Disruptions Amid Prolonged Government Shutdown
The government shutdown has now entered a new month, making it likely to become the longest in U.S. history, with Democrats and Republicans still unable to reach an agreement.
Millions of Americans risk losing food aid and health care subsidies as the political standoff continues without progress.
President Donald Trump stated in a Sunday interview that he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats seeking negotiations to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies expiring at the end of the year.
Trump told CBS’s 60 Minutes that he will only agree to negotiate once the government has been reopened.
Duffy emphasized, “We will delay, we will cancel, any kind of flight across the national airspace to make sure people are safe.”
He explained that when a controller is forced to handle two jobs at once, “a level of risk gets injected into the system.”
Duffy added, “We don’t want crashes, we want people to go safely and so we will slow and stop traffic if we don’t think we can manage it in a way that keeps people safe as they go from point A to point B.”
“If the government doesn’t open in the next week or two, we’ll look back as these were the good days, not the bad days,” he said.
FAA Halts Flights at Newark Airport Amid Air Traffic Controller Shortage
On Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a ground stop at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey because of a shortage of air traffic controllers.
Flight tracking site FlightAware recorded 5,597 flight delays and 640 cancellations within, into, or out of the United States.
Orlando International Airport, a major hub for Disney World tourists, was one of the hardest hit airports last week.
According to an advisory obtained by The New York Times, no flights were able to land in Orlando for a long period on Thursday because there were “no certified traffic controllers available.”
Average delays at Orlando’s airport were 2 hours and 40 minutes, with some extending up to 12 hours.
As of Monday, FlightAware reported 392 delays and 221 cancellations across U.S. flights.
The FAA stated on X that nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay throughout the shutdown, maintaining over 50,000 daily flight operations across U.S. airspace.
The agency reported that half of its top 30 facilities were suffering from staff shortages, while nearly 80 percent of air traffic controllers were absent from New York-area centers.
“After 31 days without pay, air traffic controllers are under immense stress and fatigue,” the FAA said, calling for an end to the shutdown so that controllers could be paid and travelers spared further disruptions.
The FAA reaffirmed its safety-first policy, stating, “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.”
