As the government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, lawmakers are raising concerns after air traffic control staffing shortages led to significant delays at major airports over the weekend.
Air traffic controllers, classified as essential federal employees, are working without pay, which adds to the tension surrounding the situation.
With the recent delays, there’s growing awareness that air traffic controllers might begin calling in sick, a tactic that could push lawmakers to negotiate. “As time goes on, the dissatisfaction is only going to escalate,” remarked Sen. Mike Rounds (R.S.D.). “People not getting paid won’t be happy.”
Sen. Lowndes added, “It’s natural for frustrations to surface, even for those who know that such actions might lead to serious consequences.” There’s an understanding that, unlike other federal workers, air traffic controllers hold a unique position that could potentially end the shutdown—but it would come at a steep price. The fallout from the shutdown hits home for many Americans, as seen in previous instances where a handful of controllers at New York’s LaGuardia Airport grounded flights in 2019, ultimately compelling the government to reopen.
According to Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), “The air traffic controllers have a significant impact.” The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed on Monday that they faced “increasing staffing shortages,” which contributed to delays at airports in cities like Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and Newark.
Data from FlightAware indicated that 19,000 flights were delayed from Saturday to Monday, with nearly 8,000 delays recorded on Sunday alone. Additionally, around 1,600 flights were canceled during that timeframe, with Southwest Airlines experiencing over 30% of its flights delayed on Sunday and Monday.
This month, 13,000 air traffic controllers and around 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees are working without compensation.
Sen. Andy Kim (D.N.J.) expressed concern, especially since he represents Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), which has faced difficulties this year. “We’re already dealing with staff shortages. This really illustrates how catastrophic these disruptions can be, and it’s frustrating,” he said.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that more issues could arise as the payday approaches. “I’m hoping for no further disruptions, but I think we might see more as we get closer to payday,” he remarked.
This isn’t the first indication of trouble during the shutdown. Between October 6 and 10, over 23,000 delays were noted, primarily due to confusion among air traffic controllers. Duffy mentioned that staffing issues accounted for 53% of the delays—considerably higher than the usual 5%.
Durbin, switching gears during his return to Washington, said he had contacted TSA officials regarding the recent problems at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). Though there was a slowdown reported on Sunday, the airport was back to normal operations by Monday.
O’Hare’s recent troubles included incidents where United Airlines planes clipped wings while taxiing, marking a rough stretch for the airport.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R.S.) is set to vote this week on a bill to compensate “essential” employees affected by the shutdown, including 1.3 million military personnel. He anticipates the vote to occur on either Wednesday or Thursday.
While federal employees recently received partial paychecks, their first full paycheck isn’t expected until Friday.
Amid ongoing concerns about delays and cancellations, some lawmakers worry about the potential for a “sickout.” Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) warned, “If an incident were to happen due to this, it would be a serious issue.”
