Transportation Secretary Issues Serious 'Warning' Before Holiday Travel

United States Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy issued another warning Friday regarding what could happen to the airline industry the longer the government remains shut down.

With the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) plan to reduce flights by 10 percent due to air traffic controller shortages already in motion, Duffy told reporters at a Breitbart News event in Washington, D.C. earlier today that figure could as much as double in the coming weeks.

“If this continues, and I have more controllers who decide they can’t come to work, can’t control the airspace, but instead have to take a second job — with that, you might see 10 percent would have been a good number, because we might go to 15 percent or 20 percent,” Duffy said, via The Hill.

Duffy later clarified he was only speaking theoretically, and does not have plans to shut down further air travel. However, that could change the longer the shutdown, which is now the longest since 1976, rolls on.

“Could it go there? That’s possible. There’s no plan for that,” Duffy said. “I assess the data and how many controllers I have, and I’m just saying we’re going to make decisions based on what we see in the airspace to make sure we keep it safe. I hope it goes the other direction.”

FAA makes 'unprecedented' flight-cutting move

Starting Friday, the FAA began cutting thousands of flights per day at 40 airports around the country. The flight capacity would be reduced by 4 percent beginning Friday and increase by 2 percent per day until a 10 percent threshold was reached.

"Our sole role is to make sure that we keep this airspace as safe as possible. Reduction in capacity at 40 of our locations," FAA administrator Bryan Bedford said at a news conference Wednesday. "This is not based on light airline travel locations. This is about where the pressure is and how to really deviate the pressure."

Bedford called the decision "unprecedented" for his 30-plus years at the FAA. Approximately 4,000 flights will be affected, Duffy added Wednesday.

The full list of airports impacted by the reductions can be found here.

A potential 'disaster' on the horizon

The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year in America.

Last month, Duffy cautioned that with more unpaid air traffic controllers likely having to seek additional employment amid the shutdown, it could lead to chaos.

“It’ll be a disaster in aviation,” Duffy said. “October is a slower, air travel month, and we have great weather in October. And so you’ve seen minimal disruption because of good weather and slower travel.

“But as we go into November, travel picks up as people start to look at going to see their families, kids come home from college.”