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Travelers across the United States are bracing for increasing disruptions as airport staffing shortages continue to worsen during the current government closure, now reaching its seventh consecutive day.

Escalating Worries Over Air Travel Network

Labor leaders for flight controllers and TSA agents have cautioned that the situation is expected to worsen, with workforce issues reported at several key airports including locations such as Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and Philadelphia.

"The risk of wider impacts to the US aviation system is growing by the day," stated travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt.

He voiced serious worry that should the closure persist, it could potentially disrupt millions of Americans' Thanksgiving travel plans in November.

Travel Disruptions and Operational Challenges

Workforce gaps, featuring an increased rate of employees calling in sick, impacted key facilities around New York, Los Angeles and Denver on Monday, resulting in delays for over 6,000 flights across the country.

• Burbank airport's air traffic control was temporarily closed and responsibilities were managed by another facility
• Nashville airport reported postponements averaging 120 minutes due to staffing issues
• O'Hare Airport in Chicago showed typical postponements of nearly three-quarters of an hour
• Dallas-Fort Worth experienced postponements recorded at 30 minutes

Industry Response and Union Position

The primary air traffic controllers union emphasized that it does not support any organized actions that could adversely impact the national flight network.

The organization stated that air traffic controllers take their responsibility to ensure passenger security very seriously and participating in any job action could lead to removal from federal service.

Official Viewpoint

The Transportation Department head Sean Duffy warned that the national flight control network is suffering damage from the ongoing government shutdown.

"They aren't only thinking about the airspace," he commented regarding flight controllers who are not receiving salaries. "They're thinking about, 'Am I going to get a salary'?"

The official noted that many operators depend on regular income and are unable to manage extended periods without compensation.

Broader Implications

Based on emergency preparations, approximately a quarter of the employees, or more than 11,000 FAA employees, were furloughed when the shutdown began last week.

Nevertheless, 13,000 air traffic controllers remain on duty, with recruitment and instruction also ongoing.

Labor leader Nick Daniels indicated that the shutdown has emphasized existing challenges encountered by air traffic controllers, including workforce gaps and aging technology.

He explained that the circumstances is especially serious at smaller airports where limited staffing creates additional challenges.

Despite the extensive postponements, aviation analytics showed that approximately ninety-two percent of departures from American airports took off on time as of Tuesday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration had not issued a "staffing trigger" that would decrease the number of flights in and out of airports, suggesting that activities were proceeding despite the difficulties.