DOT may close certain parts of the airspace due to air traffic controller shortages

The Department of Transportation may close some parts of US airspace if enough air traffic controllers don’t show up to work, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday.

“If you bring us to a week from today, Democrats, you will see mass chaos,” Duffy said at a news conference on Tuesday. “You will see mass flight delays, you’ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace because we just cannot manage it because we don’t have the air traffic controllers.”

Controllers received a partial paycheck early in the shutdown, and last week missed one entirely. On Thursday, Duffy said, controllers will be sent another paystub that reads $0. He said many controllers cannot go without two paychecks.

Controllers, like Transportation Security Administration workers, are essential employees and are required to work during federal government shutdowns despite not being paid. This past week, TSA and Federal Aviation Administration employees not showing up for work caused massive security wait times in Houston and delays at airports across the country.

“I can’t just go find money and pay air traffic controllers,” Duffy said. “That’s not the way our constitution works and our government works.”