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Government shutdown could force closures in US airspaces
"Mass chaos" could soon be coming to an airport near you, according to the nation's top transportation officials. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the U.S. may need to close some airspace if the government shutdown lasts into next week.
"Mass chaos" could soon be coming to an airport near you.
What we know:
At a press conference Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the U.S. may need to close some airspace if the government shutdown lasts into next week.
"Many of the [air traffic] controllers said a lot of us can navigate missing one paycheck. Not everybody but a lot of us can. None of us can manage missing two paychecks," Duffy told reporters, noting that another missed check is one week away.
"You will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays, you’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers," Duffy said.
What they're saying:
Travel expert Troy Petenbrink told Fox 5 that if the U.S. were to close parts of its airspace, almost all travelers would feel the effect.
"We see a trickle-down effect. When one airport shuts down, it doesn’t just affect that airport, it affects all of the flights that are coming in and out of those destinations," he explained. "Of all the things that people are claiming around the shutdown, this one’s pretty legit."
Dig deeper:
Duffy also said that while air travel remains safe, the shutdown injects more risk into the system.
"There is more risk in the system. You do have a controller who’s certified to maybe work two positions, but traditionally they’ll only work one. But they have to work those two positions because their colleagues have called in sick, or they’re waiting tables, or they’re driving Uber."