Last month, warnings were already issued about the possibility of Thanksgiving travel being disrupted by the government shutdown. Americans were on edge after House Majority Whip Tom Emmer warned that cancellations may arise during the busiest travel time of the year. “Airports will be flooded with flight cancellations and delays amid the busiest time to travel all year, and the list goes on and on,” he said.
Since then, other statements have been made about the Thanksgiving disruptions. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also warned of “significant delays” if a resolution was not met. “With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, we are approaching the busiest travel period of the entire year, when millions of Americans will go to airports to spend time with their loved ones.”
Leavitt added, “Let us be very clear from the White House today. If the Democrats continue to keep the government closed, we fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions and cancellations in major airports across the country this holiday season.”
Fears and concerns have only increased since the Federal Aviation Administration agreed to slash 10% of flights. Here’s a closer look at the status of Thanksgiving travel, and why air traffic controllers are already sounding the alarm.
The President Of The National Air Traffic Controllers Association Has A Gloomy Outlook For Thanksgiving Travel
With the FAA’s directive to reduce flights, concerns are growing among Americans as Thanksgiving looms. Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), discussed what may arise come Thanksgiving, one of the busiest times of the year for U.S. travelers.
The president of the NATCA told CNBC’s Squawk Box that lengthy TSA lines will be far from the only concern for travelers if the government shutdown continues until then.
“To somehow fathom we could go into the holiday season still in a government shutdown, I can’t even begin to predict what the impacts will be across this country,” Daniels revealed, adding that “Three-hour TSA wait lines will be the least of our worries.”
The shutdown has not become the lengthiest in history, with no end in sight just yet. With an increased capacity expected for Thanksgiving, matched with reduced flights and a shortage of air traffic controllers, delays and cancellations are inevitable during the holidays.
Not only that, but even if a resolution is met, the NATCA believes the impacts of the shutdown will linger for weeks for the entire industry.
The NATCA Also Stressed That The Impacts Will Be Felt Beyond The Government Shutdown
Looking ahead, Daniels believes that problems will only persist for weeks, even if a resolution is reached in the coming days. The President of NATCA believes air traffic controllers will continue to face the impacts of the shutdown, especially financially.
“We’ve been in this shutdown for so long at this point, I don’t think we’ll actually see the damage until well after the shutdown ends, seeing air traffic controllers resign from this career and profession,” Daniels said.
“Even if they open the government today, we won’t see the pay that we deserve that we’ve rightfully earned for over two to two and a half months,” he continued. Daniels also added that air traffic controllers will continue to show up to work. However, the association’s president said that they “can’t make the impossible possible.”
Looking ahead to Thanksgiving, it may become an impossible situation for air traffic controllers to handle. The White House has issued several statements in recent weeks, looking to end the shutdown before the holiday season, warning that it may be a disastrous outcome for Americans visiting their families.
Vice President JD Vance Also Issued A Warning For Thanksgiving Travel
For now, the Federal Aviation Administration has stepped in to remove flights at 40 airports across the United States. A slash of this kind hasn’t happened since 2001, on 9/11.
Among the 40 airports with reduced flights are:
- ANC Anchorage International
- ATL Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
- BOS Boston Logan International
- BWI Baltimore/Washington International
- CLT Charlotte Douglas International
- CVG Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
- DAL Dallas Love
- DCA Ronald Reagan Washington National
- DEN Denver International
- DFW Dallas/Fort Worth International
- DTW Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County
- EWR Newark Liberty International
- FLL Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International
- HNL Honolulu International
- HOU Houston Hobby
- IAD Washington Dulles International
- IAH George Bush Houston Intercontinental
- IND Indianapolis International
- JFK New York John F Kennedy International
- LAS Las Vegas McCarran International
- LAX Los Angeles International
- LGA New York LaGuardia
- MCO Orlando International
- MDW Chicago Midway
- MEM Memphis International
- MIA Miami International
- MSP Minneapolis/St Paul International
- OAK Oakland International
- ONT Ontario International
- ORD Chicago O`Hare International
- PDX Portland International
- PHL Philadelphia International
- PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International
- SAN San Diego International
- SDF Louisville International
- SEA Seattle/Tacoma International
- SFO San Francisco International
- SLC Salt Lake City International
- TEB Teterboro
- TPA Tampa International
If the safety of passengers is compromised at any point, additional cuts will be made.
For now, Vice President JD Vance is urging a deal to be done, mainly because of potential disasters this Thanksgiving.
“Look it could be a disaster,” Vance said during a speech at the White House. “How many of them are not going to show up for work? That’s going to lead to massive delays. We want people to be able to get home for Thanksgiving. We want people to be able to travel for business,” he added.
It remains to be seen if a resolution will be made before Thanksgiving. Air travel will once again play a pivotal role in ending the government shutdown.
