Washington, Nov 4 Airports across the United States are experiencing mounting disruption as the federal government shutdown crosses the one-month mark, with staffing shortages contributing to widespread flight delays and long security lines.
The weekend saw some of the worst travel disruptions yet since the beginning of the shutdown. More than 5,000 flights to and from US airports were delayed on Sunday alone.
The White House on Monday blamed the travel disruptions on the Democrats, saying that “Americans are paying the price for Democrats’ sick political games.”
“Democrats have ushered in a full-scale disaster disrupting millions of air travellers’ lives,” it said in a statement.
With no resolution in sight, transportation officials warned that additional delays and cancellations are likely.
Air traffic controllers, designated as essential workers, are required to work even without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the financial strain on those workers is increasing.
“None of them can miss two paychecks,” Duffy said in an interview with CNBC on Monday. “Their home finances fall apart, and they’re all going to have to look at taking second jobs or quitting and getting into another line of work.”
He added that the national airspace system is already short by 2,000 and 3,000 controllers.
Major disruption was concentrated at major airports, including Chicago O’Hare, Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which together accounted for more than 800 delays and over 30 cancellations.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has struggled to recruit and retain enough controllers, and staffing-related delays occurred even before the shutdown.
The impact has extended to airport security operations. Houston Airports warned that security wait times could exceed three hours at George Bush Intercontinental Airport and more than an hour at William P. Hobby Airport. Similar advisories have been issued for airports in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, DC, and other major cities.
The Republicans have accused Democrats of demanding healthcare subsidies for illegal immigrants, which the Democrats reject as a lie peddled by the Trump administration.
Democrats say they are asking to reverse the healthcare cuts for American citizens in the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which was passed earlier this year.
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