US shutdown deepens, flight delays mount as air traffic controllers skip work

Air traffic controllers, many of whom are not showing up for duty or taking second jobs to manage expenses, have led to mounting flight delays.

The ongoing US government shutdown has stretched into its 34th day, worsening conditions across the country's airports as air traffic controllers, TSA screeners, and other essential workers continue working without pay, CNN reported.

Flights at Orlando International Airport faced major delays on October 30, after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the airport had no certified air-traffic controllers in its tower, forcing arrivals to be halted or severely delayed amid the ongoing US government shutdown. (AFP)

Air traffic controllers, many of whom are not showing up for duty or taking second jobs to manage expenses, have led to mounting flight delays and long queues at major airports, raising passenger concerns about safety and reliability.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told CNN News Central that the extended shutdown is putting increasing pressure on workers and compromising safety.

‘Tomorrow is less safe than today’

"Every single day that this goes on tomorrow is now less safe than today," he said. "We're supposed to go to work and be 100%, 100% of the time. I'm going to work right now, and I'm thinking about, how do I pay my rent?"

"Is there more risk in the system when you have a shutdown? Absolutely there's more risk," he told CNBC. "If we thought that it was unsafe... we'll shut the whole airspace down. We won't let people travel. We're not there at this point. It's just significant delays."

The shortages have disrupted air traffic across major hubs, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, and Newark, causing extensive ground delays. Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport has warned passengers that TSA checks could take up to three hours due to staff shortages.

Callouts will continue to rise

Keith Jeffries, vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and a former TSA federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport, told CNN that call-outs will likely continue.

"Call-outs will continue to rise in TSA, because those frontline employees are forced with making those decisions," he said.

Mike McCormick, assistant professor of Air Traffic Management at Embry-Riddle University, told CNN that while there are safety concerns, controllers are handling the situation responsibly.

"If controllers were more reporting to work in such a condition that they could not be 100%, for their air traffic control duties, then, yes, that creates a risk of safety," he said.

Safety risks and US shutdown?

"From what I'm seeing across the system, controllers are recognizing their limitations, and they're not reporting to work, so that is actually helping to keep the system safe."

Erik Hansen, senior vice president of government relations at the US Travel Association, said the shutdown is hurting the dependability of air travel.

"The challenge is that the system is never going to compromise safety, but we're absolutely compromising predictability and the ability of Americans to get to where they want to go on time," he said.

Union leaders and airline executives have urged lawmakers to resolve the impasse.

"Our message is simple, open the government, and it has to open now," Daniels said.