Parts of the U.S. airspace could be closed if the government shutdown continues into next week, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Tuesday during a press conference.
Air traffic controllers already have missed part of one paycheck in mid-October and a full paycheck at the end of October. They are considered essential workers and are required to continue to do their jobs despite the shutdown and no pay.
"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.
If the shutdown lasts until next Tuesday, when controllers are supposed to get their next paycheck, "you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays, you will see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don't have the air traffic controllers," Duffy said.
Some air traffic controllers started to call in sick within a week of the government shutdown, which began Oct. 1. Delays at some airports since have increased.
On Nov. 2, 44 percent of air delays were due to controller shortages, Duffy said. That figure on Monday was 24 percent, and "we've seen it in the mid-50s as a percentage of delays to staffing shortages," he added. "It's a moving number."
According to Flight Aware, the number of total air delays within, into or out of the United States was nearly 5,900 on Sunday, more than 4,700 on Monday, and more than 4,000 on Tuesday. The service does not indicate the cause of the delays.
This past weekend, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration estimated that nearly 50 percent of major air traffic control centers across the country now are experiencing staffing shortages.
Airline executives last week also met with Duffy and Vice President JD Vance to urge an end to the shutdown, calling for the passage of a "clean continuing resolution."
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