US Air Travel Faces Mounting Disruptions as Government Shutdown Drags On
WASHINGTON – A partial US federal government shutdown is increasingly threatening air travel, with flight delays mounting and warnings of potential escalations as the impasse in Congress continues. Nearly 4,000 flights at US airports were delayed and 70 were canceled on Tuesday, according to aviation monitor FlightAware. The Federal Aviation Management (FAA) cautioned that these problems could worsen.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported a slight increase in air traffic controllers calling in sick since the shutdown began last week, prompting preparations to reduce flight volume to prioritize safety.
The impact of the shutdown on federal employees was highlighted Wednesday by Democratic lawmakers – Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, alongside Maryland Governor Wes Moore – at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. They focused on the 550 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) law enforcement agents affected.
“The Republican shutdown is ruining our economy, making Americans travel less safely and severely harming our civil servants,” Senator Alsobrooks stated, urging the administration to consider a Democratic proposal to end the stalemate.
Lawmakers are concerned that prolonged disruption could mirror the January 2019 shutdown – the longest in US history at 35 days – which led to the closure of LaGuardia Airport in New York.
Passengers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reported significant delays at TSA security checkpoints. “It is unheard of that in one of the largest airports in the nation, one as a passenger has to spend almost two hours of their time just to cross the security threshold, due to the government shutdown,” said José Chacón, a traveler delayed on a flight to Mexico City. “I start thinking about what this (the closure) says about us as a nation and it makes me ashamed.”
The shutdown underscores the critical role federal employees play in maintaining the nation’s air travel system and raises concerns about the long-term consequences of political gridlock on essential services.
