Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is warning that the Trump administration may be forced to close airspace in certain parts of the country if the government shutdown drags on into next week.
The 35-day funding lapse has snarled air travel across the country, with at least 2,900 flight delays on Monday due to a spike in absences from air traffic controllers, who are reporting to work without pay during the shutdown.
Duffy predicted “mass chaos” for U.S. airspace if Democrats do not relent their hardball tactics and fund the government.
“So if, if you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos,” Duffy said.
“You will see mass flight delays. You’ll 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.”
Despite mounting impacts from the month-long shutdown, the vast majority of Senate Democrats voted for a 14th time Tuesday against a clean continuing resolution to open the government.
The nation’s four largest airlines called on Congress Thursday to end the shutdown using Republicans’ preferred approach of a clean CR.
“Delta Air Lines implores Congress to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government so that our air traffic controllers, TSA, and CBP officers charged with the safety and efficiency of our national airspace can collect the paychecks they deserve,” the Atlanta, Georgia-based airline said.
“A system under stress must be slowed down, reducing efficiency and causing delays for the millions of people who take to the skies every day.”
Roughly 500 major travel industry groups urged lawmakers to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution Monday, warning of “devastating” consequences for the upcoming holiday travel season.
Democrats have blamed their Republican counterparts for the shutdown’s disruptions to air travel, despite plunging the country into an indefinite shutdown with no clear exit strategy.
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