US airports are reeling from a perfect storm of delays and cancellations as air traffic controllers continue to work without pay for over a month. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reported that more than 16,700 flights were delayed and another 2,282 cancelled between Friday and Sunday alone, with the disruptions continuing into Monday evening.
The root cause of the chaos lies in the record-breaking government shutdown, which has put immense stress and fatigue on air traffic controllers who are classified as "essential workers". With nearly 13,000 controllers working without pay since October 1st, their absences have surged to force the FAA to reduce air traffic flow to maintain safety standards.
The FAA warned that when staffing shortages occur, delays or cancellations are inevitable. US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy echoed this sentiment during an interview, stating that delays will continue to ensure airline safety. However, in a bid to avoid firing controllers who need to balance work with family responsibilities, the administration has assured air traffic workers that they would not be let go.
The government shutdown is set to enter its 35th day on Tuesday, and it's on track to tie with the 2018-2019 shutdown as the longest in US history. With over 730,000 federal employees working without pay, including nearly 50,000 air traffic controllers who are ensuring daily operations across the national airspace system, the situation remains dire.
The impact of the shutdown is far-reaching, with civilian federal employees furloughed or working reduced hours. The FAA has warned that the delays will continue until the government shutdown ends and air traffic controllers receive their pay.
The root cause of the chaos lies in the record-breaking government shutdown, which has put immense stress and fatigue on air traffic controllers who are classified as "essential workers". With nearly 13,000 controllers working without pay since October 1st, their absences have surged to force the FAA to reduce air traffic flow to maintain safety standards.
The FAA warned that when staffing shortages occur, delays or cancellations are inevitable. US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy echoed this sentiment during an interview, stating that delays will continue to ensure airline safety. However, in a bid to avoid firing controllers who need to balance work with family responsibilities, the administration has assured air traffic workers that they would not be let go.
The government shutdown is set to enter its 35th day on Tuesday, and it's on track to tie with the 2018-2019 shutdown as the longest in US history. With over 730,000 federal employees working without pay, including nearly 50,000 air traffic controllers who are ensuring daily operations across the national airspace system, the situation remains dire.
The impact of the shutdown is far-reaching, with civilian federal employees furloughed or working reduced hours. The FAA has warned that the delays will continue until the government shutdown ends and air traffic controllers receive their pay.
... 16,700 delayed flights between Friday to Sunday? That's like, almost every flight? And only now are we hearing about it? I need some more info on when these delays started happening and how long they've been going on. Also, what's the source of that "near 50,000 air traffic controllers" number? That sounds super high to me... 
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Air travel in the US is basically grounded right now 
. I remember flying to Europe for my summer vacation back in 2007 (yes, that was a looong time ago!) and it took like, an hour to clear security? Now, they're telling us that delays are inevitable? 
What's going on?! Is it the government shutdown or something else entirely? 
It's just common sense, you know?! The poor guys are basically holding the country hostage with their plane schedules 
. Air traffic controllers are the backbone of our country's aviation safety, and yet they're being forced to work without pay for over a month. That's just crazy talk! 
. The FAA is already warning of delays and cancellations; I'm worried about the safety implications 
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. Anything less is just unacceptable 
This whole thing is just so concerning 
It's like, what even is going on with our country right now? 
The air traffic controllers are the ones keeping everyone safe in the skies, and yet they're just being left hanging. 
I feel so bad for them and their families who have to deal with all this uncertainty. 
It's like, we need some leadership that actually cares about people's well-being, you know? 
lets give 'em some benjamins 2 keep their jobs & families happy 
How can the government justify this? It's like they're playing with people's livelihoods. The FAA needs to get its act together and find a solution ASAP. This is not about airline safety, it's about human dignity! 
these air traffic controllers r like the real unsung heroes 
but still it's so stressful for them & their families with kids to balance work & home life 
but we need this shutdown 2 end ASAP! like what if someone else takes the controller role? 
️ u guys no how chaotic it's getting at US airports rn? 
. I've got a buddy who's a flight attendant and she's been tellin' me about all these delays & cancellations... it's gettin' old 
. It's not like they're just sitting around twiddling their thumbs, they're putting lives at risk every time they have to make a call 
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. The economy, national security... all of it is suffering because of these politicians' inability to work together 
, but they're being taken advantage of here. It's like the government is playing a cruel joke on them 
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The whole thing just feels so... unnecessary 
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. The question is, will they step up and show some unity before it's too late? 
. And now the whole air traffic system is suffering because of it... like, what even happens next? 
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. The government shutdown is super harsh on air traffic controllers too... they've been working without pay for over a month