Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a grave warning regarding the future of air travel, stating that the percentage of canceled flights could balloon to between 15 and 20% if the ongoing government shutdown does not resolve “relatively soon.”
The warning comes as the nation’s air travel system is already reeling from the effects of the shutdown, which has caused severe air traffic control staffing shortages across the country. Current administration orders have forced airlines to reduce the number of flights at 40 major airports, a measure that initially resulted in a 4% cut in flights, with that number already projected to reach 10% by next week.
Secretary Duffy made clear that the critical staffing issue is the driving force behind the potential for deeper cuts, directly linking the lack of pay to the controllers’ ability to work.
“So if this shutdown doesn’t end relatively soon, the consequence of that is going to be more controllers don’t come to work and then we’re going to have to continue to assess the pressure in the airspace and make decisions that may again move us from 10% to 15%, maybe to 20,” Secretary Duffy said.
Travelers are already experiencing the widespread disruption. The air traffic control shortage caused facilities to be short-staffed 32 times on a single day, leading to hundreds of grounded planes, thousands of delays, and cancellations.
On Friday, inbound wait times for flights at Reagan National Airport reached four hours for flights that were not canceled, with other major hubs like Chicago O’Hare and Houston Hobby also experiencing significant delays.
The looming threat of a 20% cut would be worse than the highest day for cancellations seen in the previous year, causing massive economic impact beyond just passenger travel, affecting the supply chain for packages and deliveries.
The situation is placing immense pressure on lawmakers, with the Secretary’s warning serving as a stark reminder of the escalating consequences of the government stalemate.
RELATED: Flight Chaos Deepens: Over 700 Cancellations Saturday As FAA Limits Capacity Amid Shutdown
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
