Portions of Airspace Could Close Next Week Due to Shutdown

The situation in the friendly skies is worsening as the federal government shutdown persists. The Department of Transportation (DOT) warned that it may have to close the nation's airspace in some areas if the shutdown is not resolved by next week. Here is the latest on what is happening to the country's air network.

Department of Transportation Signals it May Have to Close Parts of Airspace Next Week

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that Americans are going to face "mass flight delays" by next week if the government shutdown continues. As of Wednesday, the shutdown is now the longest in U.S. history. Duffy said that the network simply cannot manage the airspace working at full capacity due to the lack of air traffic controllers.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), nearly half of the country's major air traffic control facilities are dealing with staffing shortages. The problem is that air traffic controllers are federal employees who are currently working without pay. The FAA confirmed that about 13,000 controllers received their first zero paycheck last week.

Duffy detailed earlier in the week that the controllers are being faced with working without pay or calling out sick so that they can pick up gig work in order to pay the bills. The head of the nation's transportation agency warned that the problem is going to get worse in the days ahead. On Friday, 80% of the air traffic controllers who work in the New York facilities had called out sick.

Last week, Duffy issued a stern warning to air traffic controllers, telling them that they risk losing their jobs if they do not show up for work. However, he walked that threat back a bit over the weekend when he said that he would not fire any of these employees for not showing up to work.

Duffy reiterated that the FAA will need to delay and cancel flights to ensure that travelers are safe. Staffing issues have also necessitated ground stops at some of the busiest airports across the country, creating a ripple effect of disruptions.

Like air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are considered to be essential workers. This means that they are mandated to work during government shutdowns despite not receiving paychecks. The result is that the number of employees calling out to work spikes, triggering widespread staffing shortages.

The DOT hired 2,000 controllers earlier in the year in an effort to mitigate what was already a brewing staffing shortage. However, Duffy noted recently that this bump in staff will evaporate if the shutdown persists. Duffy said that the young workers will decide to walk away from the profession if it does not provide a stable paycheck, negatively impacting the necessary pipeline of new controllers.

Aviation experts say that it is safe to fly during the shutdown. But the union representing air traffic controllers is cautioning that the risks are increasing every day that the government remains closed. Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told CNN on Monday that it is difficult for workers to go to work and be at 100% if they are worried about paying their rent.

TSA Staffing Shortages Also Triggering Disruptions at Airports

The staffing shortages are also severely impacting waiting lines at airport security checks. The TSA employees working under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are also not being paid at this time. The result has been increasingly long waits at security screening stations. For example, travelers were faced with waits of up to three hours this week at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has also experienced hours-long waits due to staff shortages. Delta Air Lines confirmed that it is having to lean on its partnership with TSA to provide its own employees to assist in the screening process.

Where does the shutdown stand now? Republican leaders appear to be more willing to sit down and negotiate with their Democratic counterparts following the GOP's poor showing at the polls on Tuesday. Democrats walked away as the big winners across the board, signaling that the country is putting the blame for the shutdown on President Donald Trump and his administration.

Now at 36 days, the shutdown is officially the longest in the nation's history. The last shutdown of the Trump administration ended when the air network disruptions became too much for the skies to handle, forcing the hand of politicians to work out a deal. Aviation experts are hopeful that this will also be the case in the days ahead.

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