The United States government shutdown entered its 34th day on Tuesday, deepening the crisis across airports nationwide as air traffic controllers, TSA screeners, and other essential staff continue to work without pay.
The prolonged funding deadlock has led to widespread disruptions, with an increasing number of air traffic controllers either missing shifts or taking on second jobs to cover their expenses. The resulting staff shortages have caused mounting flight delays and long queues at major airports, sparking concerns over safety and reliability.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, told that the shutdown has put workers under immense strain, with consequences for aviation safety.
“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 to pay my rent?”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that delays were being introduced as a precautionary measure to preserve safety amid staffing shortages. “Is there more risk in the system when you have a shutdown? Absolutely, there’s more risk,” he told.
“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.”
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Major airports, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, and Newark, have faced severe disruptions, with extended ground delays and long security queues. Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport warned passengers that TSA screening could take up to three hours due to reduced staffing.
Keith Jeffries, vice president of K2 Security Screening Group and a former TSA federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport, said that staff absences were expected to continue. “Call-outs will continue to rise in TSA, because those frontline employees are forced to make those decisions,” he said.
Mike McCormick, assistant professor of Air Traffic Management at Embry-Riddle University, acknowledged the safety risks but praised controllers for acting responsibly.
“If controllers were 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.
“From what I’m seeing across the system, controllers are recognising 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, warned that the shutdown is eroding 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 funding impasse immediately. “Our message is simple, open the government, and it has to open now,” Daniels said.
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