Get ready for a possible surge in flight delays if the government shuts down
- If the government shuts down, TSA screeners and air traffic controllers won't be paid.
- This could cause flight delays and longer airport wait times, the White House warned.
If you have travel plans next month, be warned: a government shutdown could make flying even more miserable than it already is.
To avoid a shutdown, Congress needs to agree on how to fund the government by September 30 — or federal employees, including the TSA officials and air traffic controllers, won't be paid.
Obviously, the nation's air space won't just grind to a halt. TSA employees and air traffic controllers are considered essential personnel, meaning they would be required to work without a paycheck during a government shutdown and receive backpay once it ends.
However, this risks "significant delays and longer wait times for travelers at airports across the country," the White House warned on September 20.
During the last shutdown in 2019, some TSA agents and air traffic controllers called in sick instead of continuing to work for free. Cut off from their main source of income, some TSA workers reportedly resigned and even lived out of their cars.
In 2019, 10 air traffic controllers called out sick on the 35th day of the shutdown — enough to cause a ground stop at LaGuardia Airport and mass delays at some of the nation's busiest airports.
Ten air traffic controllers calling out sick would be an even bigger deal today since many of the nation's control towers are already understaffed.
While significant absenteeism is unlikely to happen en masse or right away, America's aviation workforce is at a much different place than it was four years ago — meaning there's no guarantee federal employees will be willing to work as long without pay as they did the last time around.
Short-staffed FAA 'cannot afford' to pause air traffic controller training
Beyond flight delays and longer security lines, a government shutdown would also pause air traffic controller training, which would create long-term consequences for the industry.
After a massive recruitment effort, the FAA is finally hitting its hiring targets, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said at a congressional hearing last week. But if the government were to shut down for even a few weeks, the agency's progress would be set back by months due to the complex nature of the training programs, Buttigieg said.
"We cannot afford that kind of politically driven disruption at the very moment, when we finally have those air traffic control report numbers headed in the right direction," Buttigieg told the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure last week.
While the paychecks of commercial airline employees like pilots and flight attendants would be unaffected by a government shutdown, pausing the hiring, training, and pay of federal airport staff puts the entire aviation system at risk, Jason Ambrosi, Delta pilot and president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said in a statement.
"The safe takeoff and landing of every commercial flight is an industry-wide team effort. Our pilots depend on our partners at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), especially the hardworking and dedicated air traffic controllers, to help safely shepherd us through the skies," Ambrosi said on Monday. "The slowdowns and loss of safety personnel that we experienced during previous shutdowns were unacceptable."
Are you an air traffic controller, flight attendant, or pilot? Got a tip or story to share? Contact this reporter by emailing htowey@insider.com