On Sunday, Eastern Time, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant again warned of the widespread economic impact of the federal government shutdown.
He pointed out that holiday shopping could be affected by the government shutdown and the corresponding reduction in air traffic. Bessant emphasized that the reduction in flight activity affects not only passengers but also cargo transportation.
In a recent interview, Bessant stated, "We saw the impact on the economy from day one, but it's getting worse. Our economy performed exceptionally well over the past two quarters under President Trump's leadership. Now, some estimates suggest that if the government shutdown continues, economic growth this quarter could be halved. "
Bessant specifically mentioned the “human cost” of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) reduction in flight schedules, noting, “We’ll be facing one of the busiest travel days of the year around Thanksgiving.”
“But on the other hand, the speed of goods transportation has also slowed down. So, you know, we may end up with shortages, whether in our supply chain or during the holidays. The speed of movement of goods and people is slowed down here,” he said.
The U.S. government has been shut down since early October, and the shutdown has now lasted for 40 days, setting a record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history. Due to the ongoing shutdown, a large number of air traffic controllers have been forced to work without pay, resulting in significant absenteeism in this role.
Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) security personnel are among the essential government workers who must work during the government shutdown. However, with the U.S. government unable to pay salaries, some workers have been forced to take on part-time jobs to make ends meet.
Furthermore, some have pointed out that the United States was already understaffed with air traffic controllers before the government shutdown.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced last Wednesday that he would cut flight capacity at 40 major airports across the United States by 10% starting Friday morning, which is expected to affect approximately 3,500 to 4,000 flights per day in the U.S.
On Sunday, he warned again that if the government shutdown continues, air travel before Thanksgiving will "only get worse"—U.S. commercial air travel will be reduced to a "trickle."
“In the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, you’ll see a significant reduction in air travel,” he said.
In conclusion, if Congress cannot quickly find a solution to end the government shutdown, American Airlines... The company will have to cut hundreds more flights in the coming week.
(Article source: CLS)
