There is still no end in sight to the government shutdown, and the U.S. Transportation Secretary said it’s directly causing delays at airports across the country, including Philadelphia International Airport.
Airport officials told NBC10 there were about 26 delays in and out of Philadelphia on Tuesday. Not necessarily all because of staffing issues, although the longer the shutdown continues, the more that could become an issue.
That’s why air traffic controller union members were handing out pamphlets today with information on how the shutdowns are affecting an already-stressful job. Especially on Tuesday, their first day working without a paycheck.
For weeks, thousands of air traffic controllers have had to keep working during the government shutdown, but Tuesday marked their first full day on the job with a zero-dollar paycheck.
“You want these guys to show up to work every day and focus solely on their job. You want them to make sure that safety is there. Every time someone gets on an airplane they go point A to point B as safe as possible. And now you’re adding the stress of how do I pay my bills?” said Charles Jaques, NATCA Eastern Region.
It’s a stress many Americans share, and in this case, it’s making travel more stressful.
According to the U.S. Transportation Secretary, nationwide, 44 percent of flight delays on Sunday and 24 percent on Monday were due to air traffic control staffing issues, compared to 5 % of delays so far this year.
“My brother does a lot of travel for business, and he’s been seeing over the last few weeks every single flight that he’s been on has been delayed,” said traveler Penelope Gordon.
In Philadelphia, NBC10 is told that employees are coming in to work, so no major issues yet, but as the shutdown continues, workers affected look to save money on child care or take on a side hustle.
Travelers are concerned that any additional staff shortage could really mess up holiday travel.
“They’re not getting paid, they aren’t gonna to want to show up. There’s going to be delays and there’s going to be problems at the airport and they aren’t going to be able to have an income for their families. It’s all gonna go down,” said UPenn student Alejandra Picón as she headed into the security check line at Philadelphia International Airport.
Adding to the issue, the country was already short of more than 3,000 air traffic controllers before the shutdown. And the transportation secretary says the lack of pay isn’t helping recruitment.
Tuesday, as members of the air traffic controller union handed out pamphlets at Philadelphia’s airport, informing people of the situation, they told NBC10 — and anyone who would listen — that they’re happy to work; they just wanna get paid.
The number of fully certified controllers nationwide is at a 30-year low.