Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy isn’t mincing words about the Schumer Shutdown and the danger it’s creating in America’s skies. With air traffic controller shortages worsening by the day, Duffy warned that “risk levels are going up.”
Even after the Senate finally passed an amended clean resolution on Monday — thanks to eight Democrats breaking ranks after more than forty days of gridlock — the damage is already being felt. FAA data now shows a spike in “loss of separation” incidents and runway incursions, meaning aircraft are coming dangerously close to one another.
Speaking to reporters at Central Wisconsin Airport, Duffy laid it out plainly: this isn’t just about politics anymore — it’s about safety. And while Washington Democrats were busy playing games, the rest of America is paying the price.
Click to the 10:07 minute mark in the clip below:
WATCH LIVE: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy gives update on FAA flight cuts. https://t.co/oiiizVk4xi
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“So in regard to the data, I’m not going to give the exact numbers, but what I’ve told everyone is, we saw what’s called loss of separation,” Duffy said. “There’s safe distances that airplanes need to maintain in the airspace. We saw incursions in that separation. Now, was it a near miss? No, but there were incursions, loss of separation. So that’s the first thing we saw, the data was going in the wrong direction.”
“We saw runway incursions,” he added. “And then I had complaints from pilots. The airline pilots were saying, ‘Hey, FAA, I’m having different experiences with the controller. They’re not responding to me as quickly, they seem stressed.’ Or they would say, the controllers and pilots use very specific language, the language that they’re using the controller was using was getting sloppy.”
“All those numbers were going in the wrong direction, which means the risk levels are going up,” Duffy continued.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, who is now the CEO of Airlines for America, stated that even when the government reopens, the process won’t be as simple as “turning a switch.” He emphasized that this is especially important to consider with the Thanksgiving holiday travel approaching.
“You have to get planes, crews, the logistics of getting the system back into place,” Sununu said. “You need the president to sign the bill. You need the controllers to come back. You need the pay to actually hit the bank account.”
“So, there’s prob, I would estimate from the time the House passing something, to getting quote back to normal, that’s a good week at least,” he added. “And hopefully that happens well before Thanksgiving. No one should cancel their plans. We feel confident Thanksgiving will be at quote end quote normal level.”
“But it’s not going to turn on a dime,” the CEO continued. “We just need, again, pack your patience. We thank the American public…again, if we can just get through another week, we should be okay.”
Fox News laid out the numbers, and they’re staggering — a snapshot of just how much chaos the Schumer Shutdown has unleashed on America’s air travel system. Between Friday and Monday alone, there were 35,021 flight delays and 7,964 cancellations. And by Tuesday, the disruptions were still piling up.
This isn’t sustainable. Travelers are stranded, airports are overwhelmed, and safety is on the line. It’s time for the House to step up, end this debacle, and get the government — and the country — moving again.
The danger Democrats have put Americans in over their pointless shutdown is beyond outrageous. They should pay a heavy toll for it in the midterms.
