Copyright NBC 5 Chicago
The longest government shutdown in history could conclude as soon as Wednesday, Day 43 -- but there's still no timeline of when major flight cuts and cancellations will ease up, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday, speaking at a press conference from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. "I don't want to be Chicken Little for you all," Duffy said. "I'm going to give you what I see. So if the government doesn't open, if the House doesn't do its job ... I'm going to tell you we are not going to get to Thanksgiving." A bipartisan bill to end the government shutdown now heads to the House, two days after the Senate passed the measure with support from eight Democrats and the backing of President Donald Trump. The vote is expected to happen Wednesday evening, when the House will be in session for the first time in 54 days. Still, the fallout of the shutdown landed on millions of Americans, including federal workers who went without paychecks and thousands of airline passengers who had their trips delayed or canceled. An interruption in nutrition assistance programs contributed to long lines at food banks and added emotional distress going into the holiday season. O'Hare Airport has already seen ground delays and ground stops in recent days due to staffing issues, including on Monday, which saw a more than 12-hour delay program in place. Overall, airlines have canceled more than 9,000 flights across 40 major airports since Friday, with more expected if the shutdown continues. "[Air travel] is going to radically slow down," he said, noting that more than 10% of flights could be canceled into the weekend. Local The cuts were ordered by the Federal Aviation Administration to ease demand on air traffic control workers, who have been working without pay since the shutdown began. And although the government appears set to reopen in the coming days, airport disruptions, flight cancellations and economic losses won’t disappear right away. Flights remain disrupted Another 1,200 domestic flights were canceled Tuesday as the FAA increased its target for cutting flights at the nation’s busiest airports to 6%, up from 4%. There were fewer cancellations than in recent days, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed to more air traffic controllers returning to work after news of a shutdown agreement. Cancellations and delays also piled up due to ripple effects from flight cuts and severe weather. FAA air traffic chief Frank McIntosh said the agency restricted large sections of airspace over the weekend “to slow the entire country down, which forced massive cancellations and delays.” Flight cuts won’t end until the FAA sees safety improve The FAA hasn’t said when it will roll back flight limits. Duffy reinforced Tuesday that the cuts will remain — even after the shutdown ends — until safety metrics improve and staffing levels stabilize at air traffic control facilities. The cuts are set to rise to 10% Friday. Duffy has declined to share the specific safety data that prompted the flight cuts. But in a news conference at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, he cited reports of planes getting too close in the air, more runway incursions and pilot concerns about controllers’ responses. Air traffic controller shortages won’t go away either The nationwide shortage of controllers isn’t new, but the shutdown likely made it worse, with Duffy saying that 15-20 controllers are retiring every day and some younger controllers leaving the profession. And it doesn’t take many controller absences to create problems. During the shutdown, a number of controllers who weren’t being paid called off work as they dealt with increased stress and the need to take side jobs to cover their bills. Former FAA air traffic control chief Mike McCormick said it’s similar to when many controllers left during the pandemic because “when the stressors in the workplace become too much of a challenge then those who can will resign or retire.” And, it's unclear how quickly controllers might be paid once the shutdown ends — it took more than two months to receive full back pay after the 35-day shutdown that ended in 2019, said Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. President Donald Trump took to social media on Monday to pressure controllers to “get back to work, NOW!!!” He called for a $10,000 bonus for those who’ve stayed on the job and suggested docking pay for those who haven’t. Daniels said the shutdown has made controllers’ demanding jobs even more stressful, leading to fatigue and increased risks. He said the number who are retiring or quitting is “growing” by the day. Airlines will need to readjust after the flight cuts are lifted The flight restrictions upended airline operations in just a matter of days. Many planes were rerouted and aren’t where they’re supposed to be. McCormick said he expects operations to recover within days, similar to after a major snowstorm. Eric Chaffee, a Case Western Reserve professor who studies risk management, warned the disruptions could last weeks as airlines face “complex operational hurdles” and winter weather complicates recovery before Thanksgiving. “It’s similar to if you start pulling threads out of a tapestry,” Chaffee said. “What you may find is that lots unravels in addition to what you are trying to remove.” Holiday travel outlook darkens amid persistent disruptions The pace of airline ticket sales for Thanksgiving travel has slowed as travelers reconsider flying. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said ticket sales during the busy late November season are still expected to be up over last year, but only slightly. Major airports bear the brunt of flight cuts
