As Thanksgiving holiday nears, Duffy warns many won’t be able to travelpublished at 20:26 GMT 10 November
20:26 GMT 10 November
The Thanksgiving holiday later this month is the busiest travel season in the US as many travel from across the country to be with friends and family.
This year, Thanksgiving is on Thursday 27 November, but many typically travel in the days leading up to and after the family dinners. The vast majority of travellers are expected to drive to take advantage of low prices at the pump but a sizeable group will travel by air.
Last year, TSA (which screens passengers at US airports) said it recorded the busiest travel day in its history; screening more than 3 million passengers on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
US transportation secretary Sean Duffy is warning this Thanksgiving season could see widespread travel disruption as the federal funding impasse drags on.
“The two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle,” Duffy told CNN on Sunday. He said the US air traffic control system was facing significant strain because of staffing shortages. Only four out of 22 controllers reported to work on Saturday at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta, often dubbed the world’s busiest airport, Duffy said.
He also warned of rapid retirements among the air traffic control workforce. “I used to have about four controllers retire a day before the shutdown. I’m now up to 15 to 20 a day,” he added.