Shutdown having 'ripple effect' on U.S. airline systems, DOT says

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(The Center Square) – The ongoing government shutdown is straining America’s airlines and air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday, and the longer it drags on, the greater the long-term effects.

Having run out of funding six days ago, federal agencies are furloughing workers by the tens of thousands. Employees deemed “essential,” however, such as Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers, must stay on the job.

These federal employees would normally receive their paychecks next week, but if Congress refuses to agree to a government funding plan by then – which seems increasingly likely – the already strained workforce won’t get paid.

“This shutdown has put way more stress on our controllers at a time when they’re already working on equipment from the 1960s, 1980s, 1990s. We ask them to do their jobs on equipment that has not been state-of-the-art,” Duffy said. “[T]his is not consequence-free. There are issues that arise throughout America that impact our everyday lives, that can impact our safety, when you shut the government down.”

Recent congressional hearings highlighted how the Federal Aviation Administration has confronted both staffing concerns and outdated traffic control infrastructure for years. Many air traffic safety systems are still relying on floppy disks and decades-old graphics, and the Government Accountability Office reported in 2024 that 37% of systems are “unsustainable.”

Even though air traffic controllers are feeling “stressed,” Duffy said, DOT is not concerned at the moment that passenger safety will decrease.

“Do I think they’re more stressed right now in our towers? Yes. Is our airspace unsafe? No,” Duffy told reporters. “If we think there’s issues in the airspace, we will shut it down, we will close it down, we will delay. But again, it’s creating a ripple effect for our controllers.”

But airline workers aren't the only people who will suffer from the current lack of transportation funding. Smaller communities and airline-reliant states like Alaska could take a hit as well, since the Essential Air Service program – which subsidizes smaller communities so they can maintain minimum levels of commercial airline services – is set to run out of funding by Sunday.

Additionally, support staff at air traffic controller training facilities are at risk of getting laid off, Duffy said, and the Trump administration’s goal to modernize air travel and traffic control systems could face long-term setbacks if the shutdown continues.

“This doesn’t just end after the Democrats decide to open up the government,” Duffy said. “It has a longer-lasting impact on our ability to make up the ground and the shortages that we have right now with air traffic controllers.”

Congressional leaders are at a stalemate in government funding talks. Senate Democrats have voted down the House-passed Republican clean Continuing Resolution to temporarily extend government funding four times in a row. 

They argue that any funding agreement should include health care policy riders to prevent the pandemic-era enhanced Obamacare Premium Tax Credits from expiring in December. 

The Senate will vote Monday evening on both Republicans’ CR and Democrats’ $1.4 trillion counterproposal for the fifth time. Republicans are hoping to wear down enough rank-and-file Democrats to gain the five extra votes they currently need for the measure to pass.