As the 25th day of the government shutdown continues without a resolution, air travel is being severely impacted. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, held an urgent news conference at Philadelphia International Airport to highlight the dire situation.
According to Duffy, the stress levels among air traffic controllers are "unacceptable" as they struggle with staffing shortages. While the system remains safe, reduced capacity on flights and increased cancellations are inevitable due to the shortage of trained personnel. Duffy warned that travelers can expect longer delays and flight disruptions, citing a 53% increase in daily delays since the shutdown began.
The association's president emphasized the human toll of the shutdown, stating that controllers are working without pay under intense pressure. Daniels stressed that his members, responsible for directing over 45,000 aircraft carrying three million passengers per day, are shouldering the burden despite not being the focus of the shutdown.
As the shutdown shows no signs of ending, air travelers can expect further disruptions to their travel plans. The situation remains dire, with no clear resolution in sight and no indication that the government will reopen soon.
According to Duffy, the stress levels among air traffic controllers are "unacceptable" as they struggle with staffing shortages. While the system remains safe, reduced capacity on flights and increased cancellations are inevitable due to the shortage of trained personnel. Duffy warned that travelers can expect longer delays and flight disruptions, citing a 53% increase in daily delays since the shutdown began.
The association's president emphasized the human toll of the shutdown, stating that controllers are working without pay under intense pressure. Daniels stressed that his members, responsible for directing over 45,000 aircraft carrying three million passengers per day, are shouldering the burden despite not being the focus of the shutdown.
As the shutdown shows no signs of ending, air travelers can expect further disruptions to their travel plans. The situation remains dire, with no clear resolution in sight and no indication that the government will reopen soon.
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it's crazy that the stress levels among controllers are so high they're saying it's unacceptable 
especially with 53% more delays since the shutdown started, can't imagine being in those shoes trying to manage so many flights every day. poor guys are working without pay and under such intense pressure 
I hope someone comes up with a solution ASAP so we don't have to deal with these long delays and cancellations 
! 53% increase in delays is crazy and it's not just about them, but also the passengers who are getting disrupted 
. My kiddo has a soccer game next weekend and I'm dreading the thought of flights being cancelled or delayed 
. What's wrong with our government that they can't agree on anything? 
It's like they're putting people's lives on hold...and not in a good way 
!
. I mean, 53% increase in delays since the start? That's just crazy! And these air traffic controllers are working for free?! It's like the gov is playing with peoples' lives and it's just not right 
. I hope they can get this resolved soon, but till then, I'm just stuck here wondering when my flight is gonna take off 
... anybody got a crystal ball? 
it's crazy how much pressure air traffic controllers are under right now 
. 53% increase in delays since the shutdown started? That's insane! 
The government needs to figure out a solution ASAP so we can get back to some semblance of normalcy on our flights 
53% increase in daily delays? That's crazy talk! 
Can't our leaders just sorta... figure it out? 
I mean, I get that controllers are stressed and all, but shouldn't we be able to afford to pay 'em a decent wage? 
gotta give it to Duffy for speaking truth though, 53% increase in delays? that's wild 
and can we talk about the air traffic controllers for a sec? they're literally working without pay and being asked to do way too much 
and we shouldn't be taking that for granted. The government needs to get their act together ASAP so these poor people can go back to a decent work-life balance 
I hope the gov gets its act together soon, we can't keep living like this. And 53% increase in delays? That's just wild. I'm starting to think I'll never make my non-stop flights from LA to NYC again 