A U.S. government shutdown could cost the travel industry $1 billion per week, disrupt holiday travel, and lead to longer airport wait times, warns the U.S. Travel Association.
A partial government shutdown could cost the U.S. travel industry $1 billion per week and lead to widespread disruptions for travelers, a trade group representing airlines, hotels and other travel companies said on Friday.
"A prolonged government shutdown threatens holiday travel disruptions that Americans won’t tolerate," said U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman. On Thursday, the head of the Transportation Security Administration warned an extended partial U.S. government shutdown could lead to longer wait times at airports.
TSA expects to screen a record 40 million passengers over the holidays after setting records over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Fitch Ratings said on Friday that a shutdown "could also cause non-material operational disruptions at airports with non-essential FAA and TSA worker furloughed."
TSA, which handles airport security screening, said about 59,000 of its 62,000 employees are considered essential and would continue working without pay in the event of a shutdown that would begin on Saturday unless the government reaches a funding deal.
Air traffic controllers and TSA officers are among the government workers who would be required to keep working but would not be paid.
"It’s hard to see how anyone in Congress wins if they force TSA workers, air traffic controllers, and other essential employees to work without pay during one of the busiest travel periods of the year," said Freeman of the travel association whose members include United Airlines, Marriott, American Airlines and Hertz
The group said a survey found 60% of Americans would consider altering their travel plans if a government shutdown occurs, with many choosing to cancel or avoid flights altogether.
Without a deal, the Federal Aviation Administration estimated it would have to furlough more than 17,000 employees and halt training of air traffic controllers.
In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending checkpoint wait times at some airports. The FAA was forced to slow air traffic in New York, putting pressure on lawmakers to finally end the standoff.
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace d...
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week cease...
Israel launched its heaviest strikes on Lebanon since hostilities escalated last month, killing over 100 people, even as Hezbollah halted attacks u...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said Türkiye aims to rank among the world’s top ten exporters of defence technology within t...
China and Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday aimed at coordinating defensive efforts to protect commercial shipp...
Iran suggested it would be "unreasonable" to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the U.S. after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest strikes yet on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people. The warning came from Iran's lead negotiator, parliament speaker Mohammed Bager Qalibaf.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran's "whole civilisation" on Tuesday in a post on social media. Meanwhile, the UN failed to reach an agreemement on a resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, after China and Russia used their vetoes.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday told reporters that Iran could be taken out in one night, "and that night might be tomorrow night," warning Tehran it had to make a deal by Tuesday night or face wider bombing raids.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah said it had stopped firing on northern Israel and Israeli forces on Wednesday as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East brokered between the United States and Iran. However, a Hezbollah lawmaker warned that the pause could collapse if Tel Aviv does not adhere to it.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate two-week ceasefire covering all areas, but Israel says the deal excludes Lebanon. Tel Aviv says the U.S. is committed to achieving shared goals in upcoming negotiations.
The four astronauts aboard Artemis II briefly lost contact with Earth while flying behind the Moon, then regained it during a dramatic lunar far-side flyby.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Hungary days before the 12 April parliamentary election has underscored Washington’s open support for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at a critical point in his political career.
Recent U.S. complaints about NATO allies and threats to quit the alliance are pushing European countries to seek alternative security arrangements, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday.
Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines plans to cancel 23 flights per week across several domestic routes from April because of looming jet fuel shortages, Vietnam's aviation authority said.
The pilot and co-pilot of an Air Canada Express regional jet were killed after it collided with a fire truck while landing at New York's LaGuardia airport late on Sunday, in an incident that closed the airport, authorities and U.S. media said.
The ongoing conflict involving Iran is set to disrupt global travel on a massive scale, with nearly 28 million outbound trips from the Middle East at risk this year, according to Oxford Economics.
The Colosseum in Rome has reopened its southern corridors as a public square following a four-year restoration, giving visitors free access to a long-lost part of the ancient monument. The newly restored area was unveiled on Tuesday (17 March).
The escalating conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran is already hitting the Middle East travel and tourism sector hard, with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimating losses of at least $600 million per day in international visitor spending.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment