White House warns government shutdown could lead to holiday travel meltdown

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By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration and Republican leaders in Congress on Thursday warned that flight disruptions will increase as a government shutdown enters its 23rd day and controllers miss their first full paycheck.

Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work without pay during the government shutdown. Controllers will miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.

“We fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions and cancellations in major airports across the country this holiday season,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “If Democrats continue to shut down the government, they will also be shutting down American air travel.”

Democrats reject the contention that they are responsible and say it is President Donald Trump and Republicans who refuse to negotiate.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL A FLASHPOINT

“I can’t guarantee you that your flight will be on time. I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s not going to be canceled. It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming into work every single day,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said at a Capitol Hill press conference, urging controllers to keep working.

Last week, air traffic control absences accounted for 53% of flight delays since the shutdown began, compared with 5% normally. This week, delays tied to absences have been much smaller, accounting for 1% on Monday and Wednesday and 21% on Tuesday, a USDOT official said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Federal Aviation Administration does not have existing resources to pay air traffic controllers and called on Democrats to pass legislation to reopen the government.

The Senate is set to consider legislation on Thursday to pay essential workers during the shutdown.

Democrats want Republicans to approve new healthcare subsidies for people who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act to keep premiums for Americans from soaring as a condition of reopening.

Democratic U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Republicans are responsible for the impasse. “Donald Trump needs to come to the table and negotiate,” he said.

Air traffic control has become a flashpoint in the debate over the shutdown with both parties blaming the other. Unions and airlines have urged a quick end to the standoff.

“Football fans: if you are stuck in the airport this weekend while your favorite team is about to kick off, you can blame the Democrats,” Johnson said.

In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending checkpoint wait times at some airports. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington, which put pressure on lawmakers to end that standoff.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)