Washington, Nov 5 US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that the ongoing government shutdown is pushing the nation’s air travel system towards chaos, cautioning that air traffic controllers missing a second paycheck next week could lead to mass flight cancellations and even temporary airspace closures.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday, Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is already struggling to maintain normal operations amid severe staffing shortages.
“Many of the controllers said, ‘A lot of us can navigate missing one paycheck. Not everybody, but a lot of us can. None of us can manage missing two paychecks',” Duffy said. “So, if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos. You will see mass flight delays, you’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace.”
The FAA workforce missed its first paycheck on October 28, with the next one due early next week. Duffy said the shutdown, now in its 35th day, has already introduced “more risk” into the system, though he insisted the skies remain safe. “It would be dishonest to say that more risk is not injected into the system,” he added.
Air traffic controllers, designated as essential workers, are required to work even without pay.
The White House on Tuesday once again blamed Democrats for the disruption.
“Let me be clear to our incredible air traffic controllers across the country, President Trump and Republicans want you to get your paychecks. They want you to be paid. Please call on your Democrat senators and tell them to side with President Trump and Republicans to vote to reopen the government,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press conference.
Airports nationwide have experienced a rise in delays, with some of the worst disruptions reported last weekend. On Sunday, more than 5,000 flights to and from US airports were delayed.
As of Tuesday afternoon, FlightAware reported nearly 2,000 flight delays across the United States.
Industry groups have also sounded the alarm. The US Travel Association warned in a letter to Congress that the economy has already lost more than $4 billion since the shutdown began on October 1. “With Thanksgiving, the busiest travel period of the year, imminently approaching, the consequences of a continued shutdown will be immediate, deeply felt by millions of American travellers, and economically devastating to communities in every state,” the group said.
Duffy urged Democrats to end the impasse and restore funding, saying his priority is maintaining safety and stability. “If the system wasn’t safe,” he said, “I would shut it down.”
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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