Air travel across the United States began to slow sharply Friday as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered a 10% reduction in flights, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cautioned that the situation could deteriorate further if the government shutdown drags on.
Speaking at a Breitbart News event in Washington, Duffy said that the air travel system was already under immense strain. “If this continues, and I have more controllers who decide they can’t come to work, can’t control the airspace, but instead have to take a second job — with that, you might see 10% would have been a good number because we might go to 15% or 20%,” he said.
He later explained to The Hill that his remarks were meant as a warning, not a prediction. “Could it go there? That’s possible,” Duffy said. “There’s no plan for that. I assess the data and how many controllers I have, and I’m just saying we’re gonna make decisions based on what we see in the airspace to make sure we keep it safe.”
“I hope it goes the other direction,” he added, expressing optimism that air operations might stabilize if funding resumes soon.
The FAA’s reduction order, which took effect Friday, affects roughly 40 major airports nationwide and has already resulted in more than 815 flight cancellations. The agency explained that the move is intended to relieve pressure on exhausted air traffic controllers who have not been paid since the shutdown began over a month ago.
According to the FAA, the initial 4% cut in flights will grow gradually to 10% by November 14. The curtailment applies between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., a window that covers nearly all domestic operations. Many controllers have been logging six-day weeks with mandatory overtime, while some have begun calling out due to financial strain and burnout.
Critics of the administration suggested the flight cutbacks were politically motivated, accusing officials of trying to pressure Senate Democrats into passing a Republican-backed funding bill to end the shutdown. But Duffy rejected that notion. “I’ve had some complaints from Democrats, ‘We want to see the data … This is political,’” he said. “This has not been political. We have worked overtime to make sure that we minimize the impact on the American people.”
Since the shutdown began on October 1, Senate Democrats have voted down the GOP’s stopgap measure 14 times. Duffy, in response, urged senators to remain in Washington until a deal is reached. “There’s people going to funerals. There’s people who are trying to get home,” he said. “They can’t get home. Why are senators going home?”
“Keep them here … especially the senators who voted no to open the government up,” he insisted.
The exchange ended on a lighter note when Breitbart reporter Matt Boyle quipped that perhaps senators should be added to the no-fly list until the government reopens. Duffy laughed and replied, “That would be great. Well played.”
{Matzav.com}
