Shutdown May Force US to Close Airspace

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a stark warning Tuesday, saying that if the government shutdown continues past next Tuesday, Americans could face major travel disruptions, including partial closures of U.S. airspace, according to The Hill.

The shutdown, which on Tuesday marked its 35th day—the longest in U.S. history, per NBC News—is straining the air travel system and making it increasingly difficult to keep flights operating smoothly. Duffy placed responsibility on congressional Democrats for the stalemate. “It would be dishonest to say that more risk is not injected into the system,” he said.

Air traffic controllers are feeling the financial strain. Last week, they missed their first full paycheck and are expected to miss the next one as well. Duffy warned that this could lead to “mass chaos” if the shutdown continues past their next payday, the Associated Press reports. Some controllers are taking second jobs just to cover basic expenses, and missing two paychecks is, in their words, unmanageable.

Flight delays and cancellations continue to mount. While the exact impact of staffing shortages is unclear, Duffy noted that delays linked to staffing have jumped from a typical 5% to over 50%. The FAA said it has been slowing traffic into airports as needed to maintain safety.

Despite these challenges, Duffy said air traffic controller attendance has actually held up better than in previous shutdowns. He compared the current situation to the January 2019 funding lapse, when staff shortages caused widespread delays along the East Coast. Duffy expressed confidence that the system will quickly recover once the shutdown ends and controllers return to work.

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