U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is warning travelers to brace for significant holiday disruptions if the ongoing federal government shutdown continues into late November.
In an interview this weekend with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Duffy said the strain on the nation’s
air traffic control system is already growing, and could directly impact Americans’ ability to reach loved ones for Thanksgiving.
Tapper asked the secretary whether he could estimate “how many Americans will not be able to be with their families” due to potential flight delays and staffing shortages.
“I think the number’s gonna be substantial,” Duffy responded. “Again, you look at the trend line, Jake, and it’s only gotten worse as we’ve gone through the shutdown.”
According to Duffy, air traffic controller staffing is at a critical point. The secretary said shortages have grown throughout the shutdown, now in its 40th day, with the number of controllers calling out increasing. “We saw the largest number of outage
of controllers was on Halloween, the 31st. Those numbers were 61,” he said. “Yesterday was 81.”
Many air traffic controllers are now missing paychecks, and Duffy said the financial pressure is becoming unsustainable. “A lot of them, we can miss one paycheck. They told me that virtually none of them can miss two paychecks,” he said. “They’re going
to be confronted with the idea of… going to get a side job, a second job to make ends meet to put food on the table, to put gas in the car, to pay their rent.”
He noted that many early-career controllers earn under $100,000 while living in high-cost urban areas, and may be the sole earners in households with one or more children. That combination, he said, is forcing tough decisions at a time when the aviation
system already faces long-term staffing challenges.
“I’m short air traffic controllers,” Duffy said. “I’m trying to get more air traffic controllers into the towers and be certified, but I’m about 1,000 to 2,000 controllers short.”
Before the shutdown, about four controllers retired each day. Now, Duffy said, that number has jumped dramatically. “I’m now up to 15 to 20 a day are retiring.”
The secretary warned that the impact won’t simply end once the government reopens.
“This is going to live on in air travel well beyond the timeframe that this government opens back up,” he said.
For travelers—and the advisors assisting them—the ripple effects could include increased delays, reduced flight capacity and higher stress during an already-busy holiday travel season.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.