CLAYTON COUNTY. Ga. — Delta Air Lines warned that U.S. airports may face slowdowns due to the ongoing government shutdown, urging Congress to pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government.
The warning comes as air traffic controllers and TSA employees are working without pay, which could lead to increased delays and cancellations at airports nationwide.
Delta, along with other major airlines, is pushing for a resolution to the shutdown to ensure the efficiency and safety of air travel.
“A system under stress must be slowed down, reducing efficiency and causing delays for the millions of people who take to the skies every day,” Delta said in a statement to Channel 2 Consumer Investigator Justin Gray.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby echoed these concerns while at the White House.
“Let’s get a clean CR and get that negotiation done behind closed doors without the pressure, without putting the American workers in the American economy at risk,” he said.
J’aliya Jones, a traveler from Lawrenceville, experienced significant delays on her flight from New York to Atlanta.
“We had multiple delays, multiple cancellations, it was terrible,” she said.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that more than 14,000 air traffic controllers and 65,000 TSA employees are not receiving paychecks due to the shutdown.
This has raised concerns about the potential for increased absenteeism among these critical workers.
“Delta Air Lines implores Congress to immediately pass a clean continuing resolution to reopen the government so that our air traffic controllers, TSA and CBP officers charged with the safety and efficiency of our national airspace can collect the paychecks they deserve,” Delta said in its statement.
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