US expects flight delays to worsen as controllers miss paychecks

PHILADELPHIA: US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday (Oct 24) he expects more flight delays as air traffic controllers prepare to miss their first paychecks, with the government shutdown now stretching into its 24th day.

Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are working without pay during the shutdown. Controllers will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.

MORE DISRUPTIONS AHEAD

“I think as we get closer to Tuesday and then after, you’re going to see far more disruption,” Duffy told Fox News. He added the FAA’s air traffic controller academy will run out of money within weeks, with some students already withdrawing.

Airlines are bracing for wider disruption after staffing absences caused 6.6 per cent of flight delays on Thursday, slightly higher than normal but lower than earlier in the shutdown.

National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels said stress levels are rising, with some controllers taking second jobs to pay bills. “They cannot be 100 per cent focused on their jobs, which makes this system less safe,” he said.

BLAME GAME IN WASHINGTON

Republicans, including Duffy, blamed Democrats for failing to reopen the government, while Democrats said it was President Donald Trump and his party who refuse to negotiate over healthcare subsidies.

Democratic Representative Rick Larsen said Republicans must “come to the table,” adding controllers should not have to worry about paying rent or buying food.

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it had to delay flights at major airports including New York, Washington, Newark and Houston due to staffing shortages.

The FAA is 3,500 controllers short of its target and many have been working overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown began.

In 2019, a 35-day shutdown led to similar staffing gaps and flight delays until lawmakers reached a deal to restore funding.