Airports from New York to Los Angeles experienced delays Monday night as air traffic controllers went without pay during the ongoing government shutdown.
It’s been six days since the government shutdown started after the Senate failed to pass a bill to fund federal agencies, and the Federal Aviation Administration is feeling the pressure.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday the shutdown is putting more stress on air traffic controllers, whose jobs are already extremely demanding. Average Americans are also seeing the ramifications of the shutdown as their flights are being delayed due to air traffic controller shortages.
Flights out of Newark Liberty International Airport, which serves the New York area, were delayed Monday evening for an average of 53 minutes, according to the FAA. Denver International Airport was also experiencing average delays of 39 minutes.
Passengers at Hollywood Burbank Airport, which covers the Los Angeles area, were seeing lengthy delays of roughly two and a half hours. A source for NBC News said there were no air traffic controllers expected at the airport tower for several hours Monday night.
Duffy explained the personal struggles air traffic controllers, who do not get paid during the shutdown, are experiencing.
“Now, what they think about as they’re controlling our airspace is, how am I going to pay my mortgage? How do I make my car payment? I have a couple kids at home. How do I put food on the table? I’m working six days a week,” Duffy said at a news conference at Newark airport.
“Do I have to take a second job and drive Uber when I’m already exhausted from doing a job that’s already stressful to think about how I can make extra money because the government may not provide me a paycheck?”
Air traffic controllers, like other federal employees who have to work during the shutdown, will receive back pay when the government opens.
Duffy also mentioned there has been a slight increase in sick calls during the funding lapse.
“So, we’re tracking sick calls, sick leave, and have we had a slight tick up in sick calls? Yes, and then you’ll see delays that come from that,” the transportation secretary said.
The Independent has reached out to the FAA for comment.
When the government shut down during President Donald Trump’s first term, for 35 days from late 2018 to early 2019, there was an influx of air traffic controllers calling out sick, which caused sweeping flight delays that helped put pressure on Washington to open the government.
But this time around, Democrats and Republicans don’t appear any closer to reaching a deal since funding lapsed at midnight Wednesday.
Democrats are demanding a reversal in Medicaid cuts laid out in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which he signed in July, and an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies to help more low to moderate-income families afford healthcare.
Republicans have baselessly claimed Democrats want to give free healthcare to undocumented immigrants, despite the group not being eligible for federal healthcare programs aside from in emergencies.
