WASHINGTON, D.C. (WZMQ) — The government shutdown is now in its tenth day — and Americans taking to the skies are starting to feel it.
From delays at major hubs to a potential impact on smaller airports, aviation experts say the effects of the shutdown are rippling through the entire aviation system.
At some of the nation’s busiest airports, the slowdown is real. A shortage of air traffic controllers is forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to reduce operations at some airports.
This week alone, Chicago O’Hare International Airport ran short-staffed for more than nine hours. The FAA even issued a ground stop for flights heading to Nashville International Airport due to a lack of controllers.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said more workers are calling out sick as the shutdown drags on.
“If we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people,” said Secretary Duffy.
“I think you’re seeing two pieces to this. One is on the ATC side, air traffic control. But then you’re also going to see on the security side TSA in terms of screening,” said aviation attorney Greg Reigel. “They’re not getting paychecks, but they are still required to show up for work… The longer this goes, I think you’re going to start seeing more folks that are either calling in sick or taking vacation days and that’s going to have an impact on scheduling and coverage,” Reigel added.
And it’s not just the big hubs feeling the turbulence. Delays at major airports trickle down through the entire system, affecting flights headed to smaller regional airports.
“A flight that’s delayed coming out of Reagan, for example, that’s going to a regional airport, it’s going to impact whether it’s an on-time arrival and/or then subsequent departure,” said Reigel. “When you have a problem in one area, it tends to propagate out through the system.”
This week, at least six air traffic control facilities were working with reduced staffing — including towers in Denver, Newark and Orlando.
“Safety is not going to be compromised by a shutdown,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), a former commercial airline pilot for over two decades. Bergman says flying during the shutdown is safe. It might just cause a headache.
“If there’s a slowdown in departures and arrivals, it’ll be because safety is number one. And the air traffic control system, as it’s currently configured, is limited,” Bergman added.
Officials at Marquette-Sawyer Regional Airport told WZMQ 19 News that there have been no disruptions to daily operations resulting from the shutdown.
