AMERICANS who have booked Thanksgiving holidays are facing ruin as airlines continue to cancel flights amid a government shutdown, a travel expert has warned.
Staffing shortages at airports across the US are causing chaos and forcing some air travel to come to an abrupt stop.
No air traffic controllers showed up for hours at one airport on Monday.
The blackout occurred at Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles, California, from 4:15 pm local time until 10 pm, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.
On Tuesday, staffing at the air traffic control tower over Nashville International Airport in Tennessee was very limited, and controllers in Memphis had to assist with operations.
The average delays at the Nashville airport were two hours.
According to the FAA, airports in Dallas, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois, have also been affected by poor staffing.
The flight chaos comes in the midst of a government shutdown, which has forced many airport employees to work without pay and is now in its seventh day.
Historically, Transportation Security Administration workers and other airport employees have called out sick at higher rates during federal spending pauses.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has blamed Donald Trump for the travel chaos as Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over a spending bill being pushed by the GOP.
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In a post on X, Newsom wrote, “Thanks, @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown.”
However, Trump’s administration has stressed that the shutdown wouldn’t have taken place if Democrats in Congress had agreed to the new plan.
Travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said the longer the shutdown drags on, the more likely it is to affect holiday travel plans in November.
In a statement, he said he was “gravely concerned” that the shutdown could “disrupt, and possibly ruin, millions of Americans’ Thanksgiving holidays”.
UPTICK IN SICK CALLS
Many of the 14,000 air traffic controllers in the US are calling out sick and causing a shortage, the US government has confirmed.
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said on Monday: “We are tracking sick calls, sick leave. Have we had a slight tick up in sick calls? Yes.
“And then you’ll see delays that come from that, right? Because again, our priority, again, I want to see your flight not be delayed.
“I don’t want you canceled, but our priorities are safety. So if we have additional sick calls, we will reduce the flow consistent with a rate that’s safe for the American people.”
During a shutdown, federal agencies aren’t allowed to hire or train new employees.
Air traffic controllers are still undergoing training, but new staffing is expected to experience a dip thanks to the blackout.
Head of the air traffic controllers union, Nick Daniels, has urged Congress to end the shutdown.
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‘We need to bring this shutdown to a close, so that the Federal Aviation Administration and the committed aviation safety professionals can put this distraction behind us, and completely focus on their vital work,’ Daniels said.
What to do after a flight is delayed
TRAVELERS may not know that they could miss their flights even if they show up in time for a delayed departure date.
Flyers are urged to think twice before following the updated travel details sent directly by carriers to their phones.
That’s because airlines can suddenly resolve issues and return a once delayed flight back to its original departure time.
Carriers are always working overtime to ensure that airport schedules are kept on track, so flight times shift throughout the day.
If a flight is delayed, most passengers will get an email or text notifying them of the change and providing a new departure time.
However, unlucky flyers have followed these updated rules, only to arrive at a gate to find their plane gone as the flight left earlier than expected.
Plus, many airlines note in their condition of carriage that they aren’t liable for the flights missed through delay mixups.
Spirit Airlines says, “In the event of a delay, guests are recommended to remain in the gate area for updates and possible early departures.
“Spirit shall not be liable to any guest who missed a flight, which departed earlier than the estimated departure time posted for the delay.”
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