Oregon travelers consider other options as government shutdown strains air travel
Claire Elmer
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — An Oregon woman’s dream vacation nearly turned into a logistical nightmare, as the ongoing federal government shutdown continues to cause major disruptions at airports across the country.
Katherine Weaver had long planned a cruise down the coast of South America — but with flight cancellations mounting, she made a drastic last-minute change: skipping the skies and taking a train instead.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for a year,” Weaver said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip and I just cannot risk missing that ship. I traded a two-hour flight for 30-plus hours on a train. But I think the peace of mind has really been worth it.”
Her decision reflects a growing anxiety among travelers nationwide as delays and cancellations ripple through the air travel system. Over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration began cutting flight schedules at 40 major airports. Airlines have been forced to cancel as many as 1,800 flights a day.
“We’ve always depended on our airlines to get us where we need to go,” Weaver said. “Then all the news started reporting flights were going to be cut, and everything just started stacking. It just eroded our trust in the whole airline industry.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the economic toll of the shutdown is pushing many air traffic controllers to leave for other jobs, deepening the gridlock.
“We had eighty-one staffing triggers throughout the national airspace yesterday,” Duffy said. “That means controllers weren’t coming to work. It’s only going to get worse. I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving — you’re going to see air travel reduced to a trickle.”
Federal workers missing a second paycheck are making tough choices — many opting for early retirement or leaving positions that no longer pay.
“I used to have about four controllers retire a day before the shutdown,” Duffy added. “I’m now up to 15 to 20 a day. So it’s going to be harder for me to come back after the shutdown and have more controllers controlling the airspace.”
If the political impasse continues, airports could see up to a 10% reduction in flight schedules this week. In Central Oregon and across the country, travelers like Weaver are adapting their plans — even if it means a much longer journey to reach their destination.