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Airline passengers are frustrated and want federal government shutdown to end

By Dan Ronan

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As the nation’s airlines are being directed to cut flights to deal with what Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says are concerns over aviation safety, airline passengers are becoming fed up.

Duffy ordered the first round of flight cutbacks Wednesday, and is promising even deeper schedule reductions — possibly as high as 20% — by next week.

Duffy said cuts are necessary because about 10% of air traffic controllers across the country are calling in sick since they are mandated to work during the shutdown, but are not being paid.

Before the government shutdown, experts were saying the nation’s air traffic control system was already stretched too thin with an estimated 13,000 controllers, but a system that needed 15,000 controllers. The difference was often being made up with mandatory overtime.

Charity Barnett is a former teacher who was traveling through Reagan National Airport on Friday. She’d been delayed numerous times, and already accepted she’ll get to her destination, eventually.

But, she said, the shutdown has gone on long enough.

“I think both sides are acting like 5-year-olds saying, ‘Well, you have to give me exactly what I want.’ You’re taught to share and to compromise in kindergarten, and everyone believes their side is absolutely right,” Barnett said.

“In elementary school, we learn there’s more than one way to solve a problem, and when both sides are saying ‘the American people are suffering,’ well, you see it. What are you doing to fix it? And it’s always someone else’s fault.”

At Reagan National and other airports, there is plenty of frustration and passengers are constantly checking the departure and arrival boards, with cancellations and delays stacking up.

Some passengers say if the shutdown continues and gets closer to the very busy Thanksgiving holiday, there might be a lot more problems.

“We live in a day and age where we should be able to have differences but still come up with agreements that’s best for the people,” said a woman on her way to Jacksonville.

John Knight, who was en route to Minneapolis, believes the shutdown will ultimately cost the government more: “All the money you think you’re saving to shut things off and then turn it back on, it always costs more because projects get delayed. And then if you turn it back on, it’s going to cost more.”

Kevin Keane, of Chicago, was flying home from Reagan National. He’s grateful the controllers are staying on the job.

“Very thankful for them, very thankful for the sacrifices they’re making and the work they’re doing to keep us safe,” Keane said, adding that he’s urging Republicans and Democrats to put partisan politics aside and settle their differences.

“It’s the way things are right now, but it’s also hopefully a motivator for us to come together, start figuring out better ways forward and better days forward. I think everybody wants America to be strong and move forward in a positive way, and both sides can just realize they share that motivation and come together to do it,” he added.

Car rental carriers, including Hertz, are seeing an increase in one-way rentals, and Amtrak and motor coach companies are also seeing reservations soar.

Troy Steinmetz was trying to get home to Kentucky on Friday, and while another passenger on his canceled flight said he was considering a rental car and driving to Louisville, Steinmetz said he’ll hopefully get on a flight Saturday.

Still, he was frustrated lawmakers can’t see the big picture, and that both sides have dug in for what is now the longest shutdown in government history.

“The people in power, they’ll be fine. But the people who need help — that’s what this is all about. The people who need help aren’t getting it. … And they could stop this right now, but they don’t want to. … I’ll get home. I don’t worry about that, but that’s what makes me mad,” he said.

He said the extensive shutdown was preventable, but that the “people in power just don’t seem to care.”

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