Copyright Newsweek
The ongoing federal government shutdown is continuing to put immense strain on air travel across the country, resulting in widespread delays, cancellations and airport closures, prompting Vice President JD Vance to warn that flying in November could be a "disaster." As air traffic controllers and other workers have now had to forgo multiple paychecks, while continuing to show up for work, the vice president said on Thursday in a meeting at the White House that air travel "could be a disaster, it really could be, because at that point you’re talking about people missing three paychecks, they’ve missed four paychecks." He added that the controllers "are doing heroic things to make it work as well as it possibly can." Why It Matters November is a month of peak travel as the Thanksgiving holiday is a major time for both road and air travel. Last year, travel around the holiday hit record numbers—1.7 million more people traveled than in 2023, with 79.9 million going to destinations at least 50 miles from their homes, according to the American Automobile Association. Throughout October, delays and cancellations have hit many of America's airports. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also warned that exhausted, stressed and overworked controllers, many of whom have reported needing to get second jobs to cover bills while their paychecks are paused, could increase risks of issues arising at airports, and more have been calling in sick. Staffing has reportedly been reduced by 50 percent in some areas since the shutdown started. What To Know Delays have been accumulating at airports across the country, with some experiencing average delays of three hours and others having to wait as long as 6 hours and 30 minutes in more extreme cases. By the end of the day on October 30 alone, there had been over 900 flight delays, and more than 200 cancellations, according to Flight Aware's Misery Map. While the delays are largely due to staffing related issues, Airlines for America, representing major carriers including United, Delta, American, and Southwest Airlines, previously said the funding lapse could mean they have to make adjustments to services. Airports have also had to close for varying lengths of time, with Logan International Airport (BOS), (MA), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), (NJ), Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), (NV), and John Wayne Airport (SNA), (CA) shutdown as of October 31, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It's also not just the American public who are paying the price of the air travel issues at present. Senators have even found themselves stuck in Washington, D.C, as flights out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport have been significantly delayed, according to a report by The Hill. Amid the travel chaos, lawmakers on either side of the political aisle have been pointing the finger at their opponents. The GOP say the Democrats are to blame for the lack of a funding resolution, and Democrats blame the GOP for the ongoing shutdown. In a plea to end the shutdown, the President of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, Jody Reven, President of Allied Pilots Association, Nick Silva, President of National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Nick Daniels, President and CEO of U.S. Travel Association Geoff Freeman, and President and CEO of Airlines for America, Governor Chris Sununu released a joint video, urging the government to pass the clean Continuing Resolution (CR) bill, which would continue funding from fiscal year 2025 through to November 21. As well as those working in airports and other federal staff, funding would no longer be paused for services including SNAP benefits, which have been of great concern in recent weeks as many are set to miss out on crucial benefits on November 1, and pay checks for military personnel. Meanwhile, more official funding legislation could be negotiated. What People Are Saying Vice President JD Vance said at the White House on Thursday: "Every single person I talk to, to a word, they are worried that the delays reach a point where it makes it very, very hard for the American people to fly." Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Thursday: "Don’t hold us hostage. Don’t hold American families’ travel hostage. Don’t hold air traffic controllers hostage. Open the government. Have a conversation. Let’s get it resolved." What Happens Next As no meaningful negotiations have yet been made by the two parties in Congress, it is likely that the major travel disruption will continue.
