US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has weighed in on the latest FAA move to slash air travel by 10%, sparking concerns about a potentially disastrous Thanksgiving getaway. Speaking to ABC News, Duffy explained that this drastic reduction is necessary due to the ongoing government shutdown's devastating impact on air traffic controllers.
With many air traffic controllers calling in sick but not receiving pay, the situation has become critical. "We can't afford to keep our air traffic controllers out of their jobs," Duffy said, underscoring the gravity of the crisis.
The move, announced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), comes amid a surge in flight cancellations and delays. As Thanksgiving approaches, many are bracing themselves for a potentially chaotic travel season.
"We're doing everything we can to minimize disruptions and ensure safe skies," Duffy said, but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to mitigate the impact of these drastic cuts.
Duffy's comments come as many Americans prepare to take to the skies on Thanksgiving Day, with millions relying on air travel for their holiday plans. With flight reductions at 10%, travelers are now facing a daunting task in booking and navigating flights without further disruptions.
With many air traffic controllers calling in sick but not receiving pay, the situation has become critical. "We can't afford to keep our air traffic controllers out of their jobs," Duffy said, underscoring the gravity of the crisis.
The move, announced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), comes amid a surge in flight cancellations and delays. As Thanksgiving approaches, many are bracing themselves for a potentially chaotic travel season.
"We're doing everything we can to minimize disruptions and ensure safe skies," Duffy said, but it remains to be seen whether this will be enough to mitigate the impact of these drastic cuts.
Duffy's comments come as many Americans prepare to take to the skies on Thanksgiving Day, with millions relying on air travel for their holiday plans. With flight reductions at 10%, travelers are now facing a daunting task in booking and navigating flights without further disruptions.
what's going on with the FAA? I mean, I get that there are problems with air traffic controllers but slashing air travel by 10% is crazy talk 
! How's this supposed to help them or even make things better? It just sounds like a recipe for disaster during peak travel season... Thanksgiving is already super stressful, do we really need to add more chaos to the mix? 
And what about all those people who are counting on air travel to get home for the holidays? Are they going to be stuck waiting forever or something? 
I remember my grandma had to cancel her Thanksgiving trip that year because of the strikes, and she was so bummed 
. Fast forward to now, and it seems like we're back to square one. 
The thing is, though, if they can't pay their air traffic controllers, what's going to happen on Turkey Day? 
I hope these new cuts don't lead to a total meltdown... I'm kinda stuck on the idea that maybe, just maybe, we should've invested in better infrastructure by now 
I've been lucky enough to retire, but my grandkids will be on planes for Thanksgiving – it's just not the same as flying with no issues 
. How can we trust that there'll be safe skies when they're cutting back on air traffic controllers? It's like playing with fire 
! The FAA needs to find a way to get their act together, pronto 
️.
. What's the estimated economic impact of 10% less travel? That's like losing $13B in domestic air travel alone 
! We need to find a solution ASAP or watch our holiday plans go up in smoke 
? But seriously, folks, with all the drama going on, I'm not sure if anyone's flying at all this Thanksgiving 
. Can't say it'll be a "smooth" ride, but hey, who knows? Maybe Duffy's just trying to get everyone to "plane" ahead 
.
omg, a 10% cut in air travel is huge 
, can you imagine with less flights? 
. and don't even get me started on the economic impact - airline stocks are already down 15% this month 
. that's what happens when we gotta have a government shutdown, right? and now the FAA is all like "oh well, let's just cut air travel by 10%" 
. and what really gets me is how many ppl are gonna get hurt cuz of this, especially all the families flying home for the holidays... 
just another reason why i love being a doomscroller 
this whole situation is so dramatic 
i just hope they manage to make it work somehow... my fave airline's got some awesome travel deals for the holidays btw 
.
. As a fan of air travel (I mean, who doesn't love the feeling of soaring through the skies?), this is super worrying for me 
️ it's been a disaster! According to the FAA, there was a 25% increase in cancellations just last month alone! That's crazy! And now with Duffy saying we need to cut air travel by 10%, I'm like "what about all these people who need to fly for Thanksgiving?!" 