Sean Duffy Warns Air Travel Is Going to Get Worse as Orlando Sees 2.7 Hour Delays

Flight delays at America’s airports got worse this week, as the government enters day 31 of the shutdown and air traffic controllers are going without pay. Orlando International Airport in Florida saw an average delay of 2.7 hours overnight because there weren’t enough air traffic controllers on staff. And Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has suggested that Americans can expect things to get even worse this weekend.

Duffy said that weekdays can be a bit easier and weekends are tougher for air traffic, given there’s more travel on the weekend. But the Transportation Secretary also noted that we’re currently benefiting from the fact that the weather isn’t too bad yet, relative to the winter months, and the busy travel season hasn’t started. Things are only going to get worse if this stretches into the Thanksgiving and Christmas travel season.

“August is the best weather month to fly, because weather is also a component. And traffic is a little less in October than in other months, and so we have a benefit of those two things right now, but we’re still seeing delays and some cancellations,” Duffy said.

Duffy noted that the stress is increasing for air traffic controllers each day after their last paycheck. They were supposed to be paid earlier this week, and many are trying to figure out how to pay their bills.

“I think as each day goes beyond that last paycheck that didn’t come, the stress gets bigger,” said Duffy. “And that happens because every day, all of us know, every day we have expenses. Gas in the car, food on the table, a gas bill comes in, or an electric bill comes in, or a TV bill comes in.”

Air traffic controllers then turn to calling out sick because they need to find other ways to pay the bills, working other jobs like driving for Uber or food delivery. And if they opt not to call out sick and instead work an extra job on their off hours, that contributes to fatigue. The last people that you want fatigued and stressed are the people who are coordinating air traffic.

MSNBC spoke with an air traffic controller this week in Maryland who has started driving for DoorDash during his off-hours. The single father told the news outlet that his daughter has noticed the stress he’s under: “It’s apparent to her that I am under more duress. She’s already expressed to me that I’m being shorter with her and that my patience is thinner, but she also has a decent and a very warm heart, so she understands.”

Orlando was far from the only airport experiencing delays this week. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, had average delays of about 90 minutes, according to NBC News. And Los Angeles International Airport saw delays averaging 1 hour and 40 minutes this past Sunday.

Airlines are sometimes feeding airport staff, including air traffic controllers and other federal aviation workers, according to CBS News. American Airlines told Gizmodo in a statement that it was providing meals to federal employees in over half a dozen airports.

“We’re grateful to the air traffic controllers, TSA officers and CBP officers who continue to ensure safe travel for our customers—even as they go unpaid during the government shutdown,” an American Airlines spokesperson said. “We recognize the critical role these individuals play in ensuring the safety and efficiency of air travel, and we are committed to supporting them in meaningful ways, including providing meals to federal employees in DFW, PHL, PHX, JFK, LGA, LAX, MIA and more.”

But there’s a very real concern about how these federal employees can feed themselves and their families day to day when they’re not getting paid. To make matters worse, SNAP benefits won’t be distributed starting Saturday, meaning that 42 million Americans will struggle to feed themselves.

President Donald Trump’s administration has refused to release emergency funds set aside by USDA for this kind of situation, though there’s a lawsuit working its way through the courts trying to compel the government to spend that money. Trump left for Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday morning.

The fight over the government shutdown is, predictably, a political battle. And at least one airline CEO seems to have taken a side, showing up at a press conference with Republicans on Thursday.

United CEO Scott Kirby said he wants Congress to pass a “clean CR,” meaning that he doesn’t want Republicans to negotiate with Democrats on health care tax credits, the main sticking point for Democrats. United donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, and Kirby attended a dinner during the inaugural festivities back in January.