Shutdown strains airline industry

The partial government shutdown has hit the air travel industry as air traffic controllers and security agents miss their second paycheck on Friday and airlines see a drop in their bottom line.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which oversees air traffic control, reported delays in air travel Friday caused by a “slight increase in sick leave” at airports in Washington, D.C., and Jacksonville, Fla., which control high-altitude air traffic over seven states. “The results have been minimal impacts to efficiency while maintaining consistent levels of safety in the national airspace system,” FAA spokesman Gregory Martin said in a statement. But presidents of unions representing air traffic controllers, pilots, and flight attendants have expressed fears of the consequences of a prolonged shutdown. “We have a growing concern for the safety and security of our members, our airlines, and the traveling public due to the government shutdown,” they said in a statement. “In our risk-averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break.”

The Transportation Safety Administration said 7.5 percent of its scheduled airport security officers, who also are working without pay, did not show up Wednesday. That number was down from Sunday’s 10 percent absence rate but more than double the 3 percent rate of the same Wednesday in 2018. If absences increase, airline travelers could experience longer security lines at airports.

Airlines have also felt the effect of the shutdown, reporting losses in the millions of dollars with fears that increased delays at airports will scare off more customers. Southwest Airlines reported Thursday that the shutdown has cost it $10 million to $15 million in lost revenue, while Delta Air Lines expects to lose $25 million in January. “This shutdown could harm the economy and it could harm air travel,” Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said. “This is crazy, it just absolutely needs to end.”