Imagine boarding a plane, only to be told your flight is delayed—or worse, canceled. It’s frustrating, no doubt. But here’s where it gets controversial: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says these disruptions are necessary to keep passengers safe amid a deepening crisis in air traffic control. On November 2, 2025, Duffy appeared on ABC News’ This Week with Martha Raddatz, where he bluntly stated, ‘We will delay, we will cancel flights across the national airspace if it means ensuring people’s safety.’ The backdrop? A government shutdown that’s left nearly 50% of major air traffic control facilities understaffed, forcing controllers to work without pay. And this is the part most people miss: When a single controller juggles two jobs instead of one, the system’s risk level skyrockets. Duffy warned, ‘If the government remains shut down for another week or two, we’ll look back at these days as the good ones.’ But here’s the kicker: Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to ‘pull in whatever dollar we can,’ Duffy admitted there are strict limits to funding critical workforces when the government isn’t funded. Bold question for you: Is passenger safety worth the inconvenience of delays and cancellations, or should alternative funding mechanisms be prioritized to keep air traffic controllers paid? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments—this debate is far from over.
