Thousands of flights are delayed as the US shutdown drags on and airports across the United States are experiencing mounting disruption as the federal government shutdown crosses the one-month mark.
The weekend saw some of the worst travel disruptions since the beginning of the shutdown. More than 5,000 flights to and from US airports were delayed on Sunday alone.
U.S. officials delayed a new round of flights on Monday as airlines said 3.2 million air passengers have been hit by delays or canceled flights due to a spike in air traffic controller absences amid a lack of pay as the government shutdown entered its 34th day.
The FAA said there were ground delays at airports in Dallas and Austin due to air traffic controller shortages. Nearly 2,900 flights have been delayed on Monday and further delays could be issued for Houston and Washington airports, the FAA said.
The shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to work without pay and snarled tens of thousands of flights.
Earlier, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned the Trump administration would shutter the U.S. aviation system if he thought an ongoing government shutdown was making it too risky to travel.
“If we thought that it was unsafe… we’ll shut the whole airspace down. We won’t let people travel. We’re not there at this point. It’s just significant delays,” Duffy told CNBC.