Copyright Chicago Tribune
In a New York Times report on the air traffic control mess Thursday, much skepticism was struck over the flight-cutting actions of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who actually happens to be one of the few really competent members of the Trump administration. The Times report suggested that Duffy’s motivations were political and that he was exploiting the situation just to put pressure on Democrats to reopen the federal government. “It was not immediately clear what had prompted the change in approach,” the Times said. “Though controller absences led to a raft of significant delays on Halloween and affected operations at some large airports through the weekend, interruptions have been comparatively benign since the start of the work week.” The Times even quoted Democrat Rep. Rick Larsen as saying that “shutting down parts of our national airspace system is a dramatic and unprecedented step that demands more transparency.” But all the way down in the 19th paragraph was a statistic that jumped out at any frequent flyer and that provided some clarity: The Federal Aviation Administration had reported on Oct. 31 that “nearly 80 percent” of air traffic controllers in the New York area were absent. Eighty percent! New Yorkers are still getting on planes? And Chicagoans are still flying to New York? Here was an example of how media distrust of President Donald Trump’s administration can get in the way of facts. And safety. We also finally learned, way deep in that story, that Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, agreed with Duffy that flights had to be curtailed at busy airports like Newark International and Chicago O’Hare. That was all we needed to know. We are longtime fans of Homendy, whom we see as determinedly apolitical and exceptionally good at her job. If she says risks are becoming intolerable, then risks are becoming intolerable. Homendy noted that Duffy couldn’t ignore the pressures building in the system and had no choice but to take these steps. Indeed, you can imagine the consequences if an overworked controller caused an accident, especially since the number of controllers on duty already has been part of the conversation over the collision at Washington Reagan airport last January that killed 67 people. Nothing is more irritating than a canceled flight and we certainly understand the howls of annoyance from airline CEOs who have to deal with this mandate upsetting their businesses. But closing down the federal government has consequences: Essential workers like air traffic controllers are still supposed to be at their posts, but when people are not getting paid in a timely fashion, they are less likely to show up. Safety over politics, media folks. Duffy made the right move. Now do your job, Congress, and get the government back open.
