Flight delays soar as controllers miss first paycheck Tuesday
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A United Airlines aircraft on the tarmac at Newark Liberty International Airport. Photo: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images.
Over 4,000 flights were delayed on Monday as bad weather and air traffic control shortages created the perfect storm for flight interruptions.
Why it matters: As the second-longest government shutdown enters its fourth week without a clear end in sight, the delays could impact winter holiday travel.
Driving the news: Air traffic controllers won't get a paycheck for their arduous and dangerous work starting Tuesday.
- Their last paycheck for work they did in September was also reduced, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told reporters last week.
- Controllers are essential workers, so they must continue to work even when the government is shuttered.
What they're saying: "The controllers are wearing thin," Duffy said Sunday on Fox News.
- "They're taking second jobs, they're out there looking, 'Can I drive Uber, can I find another source of income to make ends meet?'"
By the numbers: Duffy noted that there were 22 "staffing triggers" on Saturday, which the secretary said was "one of the highest" numbers of controllers not working because they weren't getting paid since the shutdown started.
- Friday saw 6,826 delays within, into, or out of the United States, and 454 cancellations, according to data from FlightAware.
- Fliers on Saturday experience 5,425 delays, and 175 cancellations.
- On Sunday, there were 8,769 delays and 193 cancelled flights.
Zoom in: Controllers could be key to reopening the government, especially as passengers getting antsy and worried over potential interruptions to holiday plans.
- Controllers played an under-appreciated role in reopening the government during the longest government shutdown in 2018-19, when winter delays pushed Congress to make a deal.
What we're watching: The shutdown will get worse this week as we approach Nov. 1, when rent and other bills hit workers. But these deadlines, combined with travel delays, could be enough pressure to bring Congress to the negotiating table.
- Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will freeze for roughly 42 million Americans, and dozens of states have already warned families they won't be able to distribute anticipated aid.
- Insurance premiums for millions of Americans on the Affordable Care Act are set to skyrocket on Nov. 1 – a central battle that sparked the shutdown in the first place.
Go deeper: How air traffic controllers could help end the shutdown
