"If you're traveling for Thanksgiving, it might be wise to have a backup plan. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that the number of Americans who won't be able to be with their families for the holidays will be 'substantial' if the government shutdown continues."
"The shutdown is straining US air travel as air traffic controllers, who are paid with federal funds and have largely gone without a paycheck for over a month, are increasingly not showing up for work, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to ground thousands of flights. Duffy said the controllers he spoke to said they're able to miss one paycheck, but two would be difficult."
""Virtually none of them can miss two paychecks," Duffy said. "So they're going to be confronted with the idea of, as you mentioned, going to get a side job, a second job to make ends meet," he said. Airline pilots and flight attendants have been stepping in to help, sending free meals to air traffic controllers at airports nationwide."
The government shutdown has left many air traffic controllers unpaid for over a month, causing rising absences and forcing the Federal Aviation Administration to ground thousands of flights. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the number of Americans who cannot make holiday travel will be substantial if the shutdown continues. Controllers report they can cover one missed paycheck but not two, prompting some to consider second jobs. Airline pilots and flight attendants have been delivering free meals to controllers. Airlines have already canceled thousands of flights and cancellations are likely to increase as the political stalemate persists, increasing disruption to Thanksgiving travel.
Read at Business Insider
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