American families will have to cancel their Thanksgiving plans if the government shutdown continues, the US transportation secretary has warned.
Sean Duffy warned that flights would slow to a “trickle” over the next couple of weeks because “very few” air traffic controllers were prepared to work without pay.
More than 1,000 flights were canceled on Friday and Saturday after the government shutdown, which has now dragged on for almost six weeks, became the longest in history.
“As we get closer to Thanksgiving travel … I think what’s going to happen is you’re going to have air travel slow to a trickle,” Mr. Duffy told Fox News Sunday.
“As everyone wants to travel to see their families, I think we’re going to see air traffic controllers, very few of them coming to work.
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“Which means you’ll have a few flights taking off and landing out of different airports across the country, but the thousands of flights that happen every day to move people around the country for this great American holiday, it’s not going to happen.”
Mr. Duffy said the result would be “massive disruption” and “a lot of angry Americans”, adding: “We have to be honest about where this is going. It doesn’t get better, it gets worse.”
Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel periods for the US. Around six million people are estimated to have traveled by plane for the holiday in 2024.
In theory, the US’s 13,000 air traffic controllers are legally required to work during shutdowns. In practice, however, many are not prepared to continue working in return for backdated pay once government returns.
By 10 pm EST on Saturday, 1,521 flights were canceled nationwide and more than 6,400 flights had been delayed.
Predictions of disruption will pile pressure on Republicans and Democrats in Congress to break the impasse and reach a funding deal to reopen the government.
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat leader in the House of Representatives, said on Sunday he hoped the shutdown would end before Thanksgiving but stopped short of guaranteeing it.
Hakeem Jeffries, the Democrat leader in the House of Representatives, said on Sunday he hoped the shutdown would end before Thanksgiving but stopped short of guaranteeing it.
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