US Vice President Vance: Government Shutdown Lasting Until Thanksgiving Would Be "Disastrous" for Air Travel

As of the 30th, the US federal government has been "shut down" for a full 30 days. US Vice President J.D. Vance warned that day that if the shutdown continues into the late November Thanksgiving holiday travel season, US air travel could face a "disaster."

That day, Vance held a roundtable meeting at the White House with Transportation Secretary Duffy, airline executives, and industry leaders to discuss the impact of the prolonged government shutdown on air traffic.

After the meeting, Vance told reporters that the shutdown lasting into late November could lead to increased air traffic controller absences, more flight delays, and longer security lines at airports. "It could be a disaster," he said.

Duffy also warned at the press conference that the continuation of the government shutdown impasse into the Thanksgiving holiday "would be a disaster" for the aviation industry. He added that October is a slow season for US air travel, so flights were less affected by the shutdown, but travel demand increases significantly in November.

Affected by the shutdown, a severe shortage of air traffic controllers in the United States has caused flight delays and even cancellations at many airports, and airport operations have also been impacted. According to data from a US flight tracking website, on the 30th alone, over 6,000 flights across the country were delayed for various reasons, and more than 1,000 flights were canceled. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also briefly issued ground stop orders for Washington Reagan National Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport that day.

The United States has long faced a shortage of air traffic controllers, with many controllers forced to work overtime even before the shutdown. Since the federal government shutdown began, approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 employees responsible for airport security have been forced to work without pay, and the number of employees taking sick leave has been increasing. Duffy stated on the 28th that 44% and 24% of flight delays on the 26th and 27th, respectively, were caused by air traffic controller absences, compared to an average of just 5% before the government shutdown.