As Thanksgiving travel draws near, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is sounding the alarm on a looming crisis in the skies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced plans to reduce air traffic by an additional 10%, citing an alarming shortage of air traffic controllers who are calling in sick while being denied pay during the ongoing government shutdown.
According to Duffy, this drastic measure is necessary to prevent what could be catastrophic delays and cancellations at airports across the country. The FAA's decision comes as many air traffic controllers are forced to work without pay due to a stalemate between Congress and the White House over funding for the federal agency.
The consequences of inaction could be severe, with thousands of travelers facing long lines, lost luggage, and potentially even flight cancellations on Thanksgiving Day - one of the busiest travel days of the year. Duffy is urging lawmakers to quickly resolve their differences and get air traffic controllers back on payrolls as soon as possible, to prevent a disaster from unfolding at America's airports.
The FAA has already reported that air traffic control staffing levels are severely strained, with many facilities operating under "alert conditions" due to insufficient personnel. The situation is expected to come to a head in the coming days as Thanksgiving travel season reaches its peak.
According to Duffy, this drastic measure is necessary to prevent what could be catastrophic delays and cancellations at airports across the country. The FAA's decision comes as many air traffic controllers are forced to work without pay due to a stalemate between Congress and the White House over funding for the federal agency.
The consequences of inaction could be severe, with thousands of travelers facing long lines, lost luggage, and potentially even flight cancellations on Thanksgiving Day - one of the busiest travel days of the year. Duffy is urging lawmakers to quickly resolve their differences and get air traffic controllers back on payrolls as soon as possible, to prevent a disaster from unfolding at America's airports.
The FAA has already reported that air traffic control staffing levels are severely strained, with many facilities operating under "alert conditions" due to insufficient personnel. The situation is expected to come to a head in the coming days as Thanksgiving travel season reaches its peak.
i'm already stressing about turkey day and now you're telling me air traffic controllers are gonna be underpaid? 
that's just not fair. imagine being on your way to visit family or friends after a long year of work only to have your flight delayed or cancelled... it's a total nightmare. 
can we please get this sorted out ASAP so people don't suffer for the sake of politics? 
they're talkin bout 10% less air traffic and i'm dyin thinkin bout all my fave flights gettin cancelled on thanksgiving lol seriously though, how r they expectin ppl to deal w/ flight delays cuz of this? my cousin just got her tickets for turkey day and now she's stressin out cuz she don't wanna miss it 
It's like, I get it, Congress needs to figure some stuff out, but can't they do it without putting our travels in jeopardy? 
The fact that air traffic controllers are being forced to work without pay is just not right. They're already stressed enough with the shutdown, and now we're all gonna suffer because of it 
. Meanwhile, air traffic controllers are working without pay and the FAA is scrambling to prevent a disaster... yeah, because that's exactly what we need – more delays on Thanksgiving 
). Come on, lawmakers, get your acts together and fund the FAA already! 
Air travel chaos incoming 
! With Thanksgiving just around the corner, can't imagine dealing with long lines and cancellations 
The FAA needs to act fast and get those controllers back on payrolls ASAP 
Not ideal, fam! 
️ this is getting serious fast... can't believe we're down to air traffic controllers calling in sick because they ain't gettin paid 
and now the FAA is talkin 'bout reducin' flights by 10%?? that's a whole lotta people stuck at airports 
we can't have 'em missin out on family time 'cause some politicians can't get their act together 
I get that Congress and the White House need to disagree, but do they have to make air travel suffer because of it? 
. Anyway, think they should've seen this coming given how chaotic things get during peak travel seasons like Thanksgiving 
. The FAA's plan to reduce air traffic by 10% is crazy talk - what if they mess up the schedule and people still get stuck in long lines? My aunt's traveling with her whole family from out of state and they're gonna have a blast (said no one ever 
. Like, how hard is it to pay people to show up and not fly planes into each other? It's not exactly rocket science 
. I mean, I guess it's better than the Alternative: having to deal with a bunch of angry travelers who are just gonna make fun of you on social media 
?
The thought of thousands of travelers facing a miserable travel experience just because our lawmakers can't agree on funding is, like, so frustrating 
and i cant even imagine the headlines after new years 