Thanks to the government shutdown this month, flight delays are even more prominent. In fact, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Wednesday that delays are 10 times more likely now due to air traffic controller staffing shortages.
Many of the nation’s largest airports have experienced delays this week. That includes the following list, as well as airports in Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Phoenix:
The bulk of delays stem from air traffic controllers working without pay due to the shutdown, which began at midnight on Oct. 1 after the government failed to reach an agreement on funding operations. Without a promise of pay, many air traffic controllers have called in sick or just not shown up for work.
“My message to the air traffic controllers who work for DOT is show up for work,” Duffy said. “You have a job to do. By the way, those who have shown up, I’m grateful for them and their service.”
There are several reasons for the air traffic controller shortage, including costly and time-consuming training, Fortune’s Emma Burleigh previously reported. Training a new air traffic controller can take anywhere from 16 months to several years—and it’s very expensive.
“The bottom line is, these controllers are stressed out, and they’re rebelling on this shutdown because they may not get paid,” Duffy said. “They’re working six days a week. They’re keeping America operational, and they’re not guaranteed a paycheck, and they’re frustrated by it, and so not coming into work.”
“The screens look like something out of the 1960s and ‘70s,” he continued. “Our controllers and our operators need the best in order to keep us safe and make sure it maintains its safety record.”
Duffy insists, however, the Transportation Department is making sure flights remain safe during the shutdown.
“When you talk about safety, we make sure safety comes first,” he said. “And so if we don’t feel like it’s safe, we will slow down traffic. We will stop traffic. That is the first priority.”
