US flight risks rise amid air traffic controller shortage from shutdown
The shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the federal government shutdown has increased risks to air transport and air travel in the United States.
This was stated in an interview with CBS News by the Secretary of Transportation and Acting Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Sean Duffy, News.Az reports.
The head of the department noted that dispatchers have not received their salaries for several weeks and are facing serious stress, as they need to find money to support their families. For this reason, many of them are not reporting to work.
"Does this increase risks in the system? Of course, yes. But, again, we always manage this. Again, we don't want accidents. We want people to drive safely, so we will slow down and stop traffic if we believe we can't ensure people's safety when they're traveling from point A to point B," he said.
The head of the agency also noted that he has no plans to fire dispatchers who don't report to work during the shutdown. "I don't plan to fire dispatchers. <...> They need support, they need money, they need their salaries. They don't need to be fired," he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported yesterday that approximately half of the country's major air traffic control centers are experiencing staff shortages due to the shutdown. According to the agency, nearly 13,000 air traffic controllers have been working without pay for several weeks.
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