US Air Travel Set to Get Worse as Shutdown Enters 31st Day
The government shutdown has taken a toll on America's air travel industry, with flight delays worsening this week. Orlando International Airport in Florida experienced an average delay of 2.7 hours overnight due to a lack of air traffic controllers on staff. The situation is expected to deteriorate further as the shutdown enters its 31st day.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that weekends are particularly challenging for air travel, with more people traveling during this time. However, even if the weather is favorable and the busy travel season hasn't started yet, things will only get worse, according to Duffy.
The stress on air traffic controllers is increasing by the day as they go without pay. Many are struggling to make ends meet, with some taking on extra jobs like driving for ride-sharing services or working other part-time jobs during their off-hours. This fatigue is a concern, particularly when it comes to coordinating air traffic.
"We're seeing delays and cancellations every day," said Duffy. "And the stress gets bigger as each day goes beyond that last paycheck that didn't come."
The situation is further exacerbated by the lack of emergency funding from USDA for federal employees struggling to feed themselves and their families. The government's refusal to release these funds has sparked a lawsuit, but President Donald Trump left without addressing the issue.
As the shutdown continues, airlines are taking steps to support their staff, including providing meals in over half a dozen airports. However, this is not enough to alleviate the concerns of federal employees who are struggling to make ends meet.
The United Airlines CEO, Scott Kirby, has taken a public stance on the issue, urging Congress to pass a "clean CR" that doesn't include negotiations on health care tax credits. The company's decision to donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund has raised eyebrows among some critics.
With 42 million Americans struggling to feed themselves due to SNAP benefits not being distributed starting Saturday, the situation is becoming increasingly dire. It remains to be seen how the government will address this crisis and what impact it will have on air travel in the coming days.
The government shutdown has taken a toll on America's air travel industry, with flight delays worsening this week. Orlando International Airport in Florida experienced an average delay of 2.7 hours overnight due to a lack of air traffic controllers on staff. The situation is expected to deteriorate further as the shutdown enters its 31st day.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that weekends are particularly challenging for air travel, with more people traveling during this time. However, even if the weather is favorable and the busy travel season hasn't started yet, things will only get worse, according to Duffy.
The stress on air traffic controllers is increasing by the day as they go without pay. Many are struggling to make ends meet, with some taking on extra jobs like driving for ride-sharing services or working other part-time jobs during their off-hours. This fatigue is a concern, particularly when it comes to coordinating air traffic.
"We're seeing delays and cancellations every day," said Duffy. "And the stress gets bigger as each day goes beyond that last paycheck that didn't come."
The situation is further exacerbated by the lack of emergency funding from USDA for federal employees struggling to feed themselves and their families. The government's refusal to release these funds has sparked a lawsuit, but President Donald Trump left without addressing the issue.
As the shutdown continues, airlines are taking steps to support their staff, including providing meals in over half a dozen airports. However, this is not enough to alleviate the concerns of federal employees who are struggling to make ends meet.
The United Airlines CEO, Scott Kirby, has taken a public stance on the issue, urging Congress to pass a "clean CR" that doesn't include negotiations on health care tax credits. The company's decision to donate $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund has raised eyebrows among some critics.
With 42 million Americans struggling to feed themselves due to SNAP benefits not being distributed starting Saturday, the situation is becoming increasingly dire. It remains to be seen how the government will address this crisis and what impact it will have on air travel in the coming days.
man this is getting serious air traffic controllers are already stretched thin and now they're having to go without pay? its like they're just expected to work for free 
and then wonder why delays happen all the time 
its not just about the flight delays, its about people's lives too... a lot of those controllers have families who rely on them so this shutdown is basically affecting everyone in the long run 
It's just insane. I'm worried about those poor guys who are struggling to make ends meet without pay, driving for ride-sharing services and working part-time jobs just to get by. 
I'm really concerned about how this will affect everyone, especially when you consider that 42 million Americans are going to be struggling to feed themselves due to the SNAP benefits not being distributed. 
The shutdown is really taking a toll on air travel 
️, and 2.7 hours of delay at Orlando airport is crazy 
! It's not just the flight delays that are the problem, it's also how some controllers have to balance work with finding other jobs to pay their bills 
Interesting
Air travel woes are gonna get worse 
before they even start 
. We need some real solutions here 
. When's Congress gonna come together and fix this? 
. I've had friends who work at airports, and they're already super stressed out because of all these delays and cancellations. It's not just about the air traffic controllers, it's also about the emotional toll on everyone involved. And now with 42 million people struggling to put food on the table, it's getting really scary 
Air travel is literally gonna get worse as the shutdown drags on... 42 million ppl are struggling 2 feed themselves & its getting 2 a point w/airports being delayed cuz staff cant focus 
, can u imagine? They need emergency funding ASAP or things will just keep getting worse 4 everyone involved 
Man, I'm getting super anxious thinking about all the flights getting delayed and cancelled due to this shutdown! 31 days is a long time and the stress on air traffic controllers is just unsustainable. They're working without pay and taking on extra jobs just to make ends meet, it's like they're losing their minds over here 
.
People need food now and it's like airlines are only talking about themselves 
It just shows how disconnected the airline industry is from the real people affected by this crisis 
. Airlines need to step up their game, not just with free meals but with some actual help for their staff and the millions of Americans struggling to get food 
I'm so done with these shutdowns! 
meanwhile, we've got folks like scott kirby from united airlines donating a million bucks to trump's inaugural fund 
yeah, i don't think so 
we need some real solutions for this ASAP 
.
! The shutdown's been going on for 31 days now & it's like a big traffic jam 
! 
Let me draw a simple diagram to illustrate this:
Airlines are trying to help with meals and stuff 
It's getting really dire! 
