PASCO, Wash. – The ongoing government shutdown is causing significant disruptions in air travel across the country, and the Tri-Cities Airport is feeling the effects. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced plans to cut air traffic by 10 percent at 40 major airports starting tomorrow due to shortages of air traffic controllers. This move follows reports of more than 400 air traffic controller shortages since the shutdown began.
Union leaders say many controllers are not just calling in sick but are also unable to find childcare due to the lack of pay. Both the FAA and the union stressed the importance of addressing these shortages now for safety reasons. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford emphasized the urgency, saying, “We’re not going to wait for a safety problem to truly manifest itself when the early indicators are telling us we can take action today to prevent, you know, things from deteriorating.”
Airlines are already adjusting to the situation. Frontier Airlines advised travelers flying within the next 10 days to book backup tickets. If the shutdown continues into later this month, holiday travelers might face significant delays and cancellations.
The Tri-Cities Airport hasn’t seen many delays or cancellations, but there could be issues for travelers going through Seattle and Portland airports. Congressman Dan Newhouse was at the airport Thursday afternoon, where he met with air traffic controllers to understand the shutdown’s impact on operations. Congressman Newhouse acknowledged the dedication of the airport’s staff, stating, “Happy to report that inwardly things are going pretty smoothly, too. I should say that we are very fortunate, I think, in our community to have some very dedicated members of the staff here, that the air traffic controllers, the TSA agents that you see as you go through the security lines, who are working without pay.”
Airport Director Buck Taft expressed concern for his colleagues, saying, “They’re people that I’ve known for 15 years that I truly care about. And I think that’s the big thing here is this is impacting real people. It’s really having an impact on their life.”
Airport leaders have reported no major disruptions at the Tri-Cities Airport so far, but the longer the shutdown continues, the harder it becomes to maintain smooth operations. Taft noted the growing frustration, saying, “Everybody’s frustrated, everybody’s upset. And I mean, unfortunately, I have zero control over what’s going on. And you just got to kind of keep an eye on if your flight is delayed or not. And some people may choose not to travel during this time.”
Newhouse plans to return to Washington to voice the concerns of the workers to his colleagues, hoping that government leaders can find an end to the shutdown.
