Passengers across the United States are preparing for increasing disruptions as airport staffing shortages continue to worsen during the current federal government shutdown, now entering its seventh day.
Labor leaders for flight controllers and TSA agents have cautioned that the situation is expected to worsen, with workforce issues documented at several major airports including locations such as Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago and Philadelphia.
"The risk of wider impacts to the American air travel network is growing by the day," commented travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt.
He voiced serious worry that should the closure persist, it could potentially disrupt millions of Americans' Thanksgiving travel plans in November.
Workforce gaps, featuring an increased rate of workers taking sick leave, impacted key facilities around New York, Los Angeles and Denver on Monday, causing delays for over 6,000 flights across the country.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association stressed that it does not endorse any coordinated activities that could adversely impact the National Airspace System.
The organization clarified that air traffic controllers value their duty to protect public safety very seriously and engaging in any job action could result in removal from federal service.
Transportation Secretary the transportation official warned that the country's air traffic control system is suffering damage from the continuing federal closure.
"They aren't only thinking about the airspace," he remarked regarding air traffic controllers who are not receiving salaries. "They're thinking about, 'Am I going to get a paycheck'?"
The official noted that many operators depend on regular income and cannot afford prolonged durations without compensation.
According to emergency preparations, approximately 25% of the workforce, or more than 11,000 aviation administration workers, were temporarily laid off when the shutdown began last week.
Nevertheless, 13,000 air traffic controllers continue working, with hiring and training also ongoing.
Labor leader Nick Daniels pointed out that the closure has emphasized existing challenges encountered by flight controllers, including workforce gaps and aging technology.
He explained that the circumstances is especially serious at regional facilities where limited staffing creates further difficulties.
Regardless of the extensive postponements, aviation analytics indicated that roughly ninety-two percent of departures from American airports took off on time as of Tuesday afternoon.
The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued a "staffing trigger" that would decrease the flight volume in and out of airports, suggesting that activities were proceeding despite the challenges.
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