Buttigieg warns shutdown would set back progress on air travel 

At a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warned a potential government shutdown would set back progress the department has made on air travel. 

At Wednesday’s hearing, committee members sought information from Buttigieg about the U.S. Department of Transportation’s infrastructure funding and current projects, but they also took the opportunity to ask the transportation secretary how a potential government shutdown would affect the department. 

With fiscal 2024 funding talks at a standstill and a potential government shutdown, Buttigieg reflected on how the shutdown would be detrimental to the transportation department and its progress. 

Following the coronavirus pandemic, the air travel industry took a hit, with Americans spending only $1.5 trillion on travel in 2020 compared to $2.6 trillion in 2019, and it still is dealing with air traffic control staffing shortages. The air travel industry faced adversity and scrutiny in recent years, with flights often being delayed and canceled, due in part to a staffing shortage. Extreme weather and poor planning are among other reasons for the high number of flight delays and cancellations in recent years.  

However, the Department of Transportation had a goal of hiring 1,500 new air traffic controllers by the end of 2023 in an attempt to shift away from the chaotic air travel that has defined the past few years. 

Buttigieg shared that while the goal has been met, the potential government shutdown would pose a serious threat to any recent progress. 

“I’m pleased to say that we hit our target of 1,500 this year to be hired, and we have about 2,600 air traffic controllers in the pipeline,” Buttigieg said. “But I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention that a government shutdown would stop us in our tracks when it comes to hiring at exactly the wrong moment, while those who are qualified controllers in the tower would be permitted to continue working. It would stop training at just a moment when we’re finally trending positive again, in terms of the number of people ready to take their seats.” 

Even if the shutdown lasted only a short time, Buttigieg said it could set the department’s progress back greatly. With 2,600 air traffic controllers in training, the shutdown would stop that training. 

“Even the shutdown lasting a few weeks could set us back by months or more because of how complex that [air traffic control] training is,” he said. “And we cannot afford that kind of politically driven disruption at the very moment, when we finally have those air traffic control report numbers headed in the right direction.” 

In his opening, Buttigieg appealed to members of the committee, saying that even though great progress has been made on infrastructure during the Biden administration, there is still work to be done. Buttigieg explained the need for a partnership between his department and Congress, so the progress could be maintained.  

Buttigieg said he needs help from Congress on two fronts — preventing a government shutdown and continuing to push infrastructure legislation. 

“That’s why even as we keep full speed ahead to deliver good infrastructure projects,” Buttigieg said. “We also seek your further partnership in two critical areas: one, ensuring our transportation safety work can continue by preventing a government shutdown; and two, delivering further improvements that are achievable only through new legislation.”