President Donald Trump called on air traffic controllers to immediately return to work, as the prolonged federal government shutdown caused a significant reduction in flights and delays at US airports.
This was reported by UNN with reference to Reuters
In a social media post, Trump wrote:
"All air traffic controllers must return to work, NOW!!! Anyone who doesn't will be significantly 'suspended'. REPORT TO WORK IMMEDIATELY."
The President also stated that he would reward those who did not take leave during the 41-day government shutdown. Following his statement, shares of major airlines - American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and United Airlines - fell.
Due to the prolonged government shutdown, approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 transportation security personnel are working without pay. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that there is a shortage of about 3,500 controllers for normal operations.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated that the staffing situation worsened over the weekend, with Saturday being the worst day for the number of employees.
On Monday, more than 1,700 flights were canceled and more than 3,400 were delayed. The FAA ordered a 10% reduction in flights at the 40 largest US airports due to staffing shortages and safety concerns.
Recall
At US airports, flights are massively delayed due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay for the second month. In total, more than 4,000 flights have been delayed and more than 500 flights have been canceled.