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As the government shutdown continues, CNN aviation correspondent Pete Muntean warned that air travel could soon become even more chaotic, Knewz.com has learned.
Appearing on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Muntean said the crisis has created a severe shortage of aviation personnel, with air traffic controllers now facing their first missed paychecks, a situation that could trigger nationwide travel disruptions.
‘A nationwide shortage of aviation personnel’
The aviation expert said the shutdown has “spurred a nationwide shortage of aviation personnel” and warned that the problem is escalating.
“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: This is likely going to get worse before it gets better,” he told Blitzer. “Controllers got that paystub in their emails [today] of what will be the zero-dollar paycheck that comes tomorrow.”
The aviation expert further explained that air traffic controllers are working under extreme stress and that even a few absences could cripple operations.
“All it takes is for one or two controllers — just a handful that we’re talking about — to call out sick at one facility to lead to this inordinate, outsized impact,” he said.
Nationwide delays and cancelations mount
According to reports, 50 air traffic control facilities, roughly one in every six nationwide, were short-staffed over the course of one recent weekend.
Muntean said CNN’s count shows there have been 260 FAA “staffing triggers,” or shortages, since the government shutdown began, representing a 300% increase compared to the same time last year.
At Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), about a quarter of all flights were delayed recently.
The aviation expert warned that the situation could “tumble out of control and cascade into cancelations” across the country as understaffed facilities struggle to keep up with flight schedules.
Aviation workforce under pressure
The Situation Room co-host Pamela Brown also voiced concern for the unpaid controllers.
“I just think about those air traffic controllers too, they’re already squeezed, right?” she said. “There’s not enough of them, their jobs are very stressful, and now they’re not getting paychecks.”
Muntean agreed that morale is dropping among aviation workers, saying the uncertainty of when paychecks will resume has left many struggling to stay motivated and focused under intense working conditions.
Political gridlock extends the shutdown
The political standoff is showing little sign of ending soon. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) recently said that the situation was being evaluated “day by day,” offering no timeline for a resolution.
Until Congress and the White House reach a funding deal, Muntean warned that passengers should expect longer lines, more delays and a strained air traffic system operating under growing pressure.
The post Aviation expert sounds the alarm on airport travel appeared first on Knewz.
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