Washington, Nov 5 (NationPress) US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has raised alarms that the current government shutdown is steering the nation's air travel system into disarray, warning that air traffic controllers missing a second paycheck next week could trigger significant flight cancellations and even temporary airspace closures.

During a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, Duffy stated that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is already facing challenges in maintaining standard operations due to severe staffing shortages.

“Many of the controllers mentioned, ‘A lot of us can navigate missing one paycheck. Not everyone, but many of us can. None of us can handle missing two paychecks,” Duffy said. “If we reach a week from now, Democrats, you will witness mass chaos. You will experience mass flight delays, you’ll see widespread cancellations, and there may be parts of the airspace that we will need to close.”

The FAA workforce did not receive its first paycheck on October 28, with the subsequent payment due early next week. Duffy emphasized that the shutdown, now entering its 35th day, has already introduced “increased risk” into the system, although he assured that the skies remain safe. “It would be misleading to state that more risk isn’t injected into the system,” he added.

Air traffic controllers, classified as essential workers, are mandated to work without pay.

The White House on Tuesday reiterated its blame on Democrats for the ongoing disruption.

“Let me be clear to our dedicated air traffic controllers nationwide, President Trump and the Republicans want you to receive your paychecks. They want you to be compensated. Please reach out to your Democrat senators and urge them to join President Trump and Republicans in voting to reopen the government,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated during a press conference.

Airports across the nation have seen an increase in delays, with some of the most severe disruptions reported last weekend. On Sunday, over 5,000 flights to and from US airports faced delays.

As of Tuesday afternoon, FlightAware reported nearly 2,000 flight delays throughout the United States.

Industry organizations have also expressed concern. The US Travel Association warned in a letter to Congress that the economy has already suffered over $4 billion in losses since the shutdown began on October 1. “With Thanksgiving, the busiest travel season of the year, just around the corner, the ramifications of a prolonged shutdown will be immediate, deeply felt by millions of American travelers, and economically disastrous to communities nationwide,” the organization remarked.

Duffy urged Democrats to resolve the deadlock and restore funding, emphasizing that his priority is to maintain safety and stability. “If the system wasn’t safe,” he remarked, “I would shut it down.”

Republicans have accused Democrats of insisting on healthcare subsidies for illegal immigrants, a claim that Democrats refute as untrue rhetoric from the Trump administration.

Democrats assert they are advocating to reverse healthcare cuts for American citizens in the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which was passed earlier this year.