U.S. Travel Group Issues Clear Warning to Congress Amid Government Shutdown

Air travel is hectic around the holiday season under normal circumstances, but things could get absolutely chaotic if the federal government shutdown stretches into the Thanksgiving holiday.

Last month, the federal government officially shut down after Congress was unable to agree on appropriations bills that finance the operations of federal agencies and programs within the government.

Since then, the airline industry has been hurting as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents and air traffic controllers have been working without pay, leading to staffing shortages that will only get worse as the shutdown stretches on.

As a result, the U.S. Travel Association has issued a stern warning to Congress about what could happen if the government remains shut down through the Thanksgiving holiday.

Travel Industry Feels the Strain

As the government shutdown stretches on, airports across the country have dealt with staffing shortages among TSA officers and air traffic controllers, as many have been forced to take part-time jobs to make ends meet as they continue to go without paychecks.

“Just yesterday, we had 22 staffing triggers. That’s one of the highest that we’ve seen in the system since the shutdown began,” Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last week. “And that’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin.”

As a result of these staffing shortages, Duffy warned that there will be more delays and cancellations.

“My job is to keep the airspace safe. And so, if I don’t feel like I have enough controllers or enough controllers that are focused, we will slow down traffic, we will stop traffic,” Duffy said.

Travel Group Warns Congress

In a letter that was signed by 500 organizations, including Hilton and MGM Resorts, U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman warned Congress of the chaos that would ensue in the travel industry if the government remains shut down by the Thanksgiving Holiday.

"Air travel's number one priority is safety and while safety will be maintained, travelers will pay a heavy and completely unnecessary price in terms of delays, cancellations and lost confidence in the air travel experience," Freeman warned via Reuters.

"The damage from this shutdown is growing by the hour, with 60% of Americans reconsidering their travel plans," Freeman added.

Freeman isn't the only one concerned. American Airlines issued a similar statement this week, and Duffy issued his own warning about what could happen if the shutdown doesn’t end soon.

“If the government doesn’t open in the next week or two, we’ll look back as these were the good days, not the bad days,” Duffy warned.

The travel industry does not seem prepared or equipped to handle a shutdown that stretches into Thanksgiving.