U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Thursday warned that a prolonged government shutdown could cause severe disruptions to air travel during the busy Thanksgiving holiday period, urging Democrats to help pass legislation to reopen the government.
Speaking after a meeting at the White House with executives from American Airlines, United Airlines, industry unions, and aviation officials, Vance said a shutdown lasting into late November could trigger widespread employee absences, long security queues, and flight delays.
“It could be a disaster,” Vance said. “At that point, you’re talking about people who have missed three paychecks. How many of them are not going to show up for work?”
Major airlines, including Delta and United, called on Congress to approve a short-term funding bill to end the stalemate and allow negotiations on broader policy issues to continue. Sources told Reuters that the 30-day shutdown has already led to a sharp rise in flight delays due to staff shortages among air traffic controllers.
The shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to work without pay, worsening an already critical staffing shortfall. Many have taken second jobs to make ends meet after missing their first full paycheck this week.
Industry officials say the situation is rapidly deteriorating. According to union representative Duffy, 44% of flight delays on Sunday and 24% on Monday were caused by air traffic controller absences — compared with an average of just 5% before the shutdown.
Airlines and airport workers have begun donating food and supplies to unpaid TSA and FAA staff, echoing scenes from the 2019 government shutdown, which lasted 35 days and ended after widespread staff shortages disrupted travel nationwide.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) remains about 3,500 controllers short of its staffing target, with many employees already working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks before the shutdown began — raising fears of a full-blown travel crisis if the impasse continues into the holiday season.
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Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest”, a mountain retreat once used by senior Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the country to travel to Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in France’s largest cities and more than 1,300 people were arrested during demonstrations against the rising cost of living on Saturday (24 October). Police also used a water cannon on a group of around 500 hooded youths in Paris, after the main rally ended.
Ukraine's military has been hit this month by restrictions on Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications system. Its receivers stopped functioning when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones, jeopardising some combat and air defence missions.
At least five people were killed and several others injured in overnight attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, 25 October, as officials reported strikes on residential areas and industrial facilities, while Moscow claimed to have targeted logistics infrastructure and a cargo vessel.
Protests against war and rising living costs took place in major Italian cities on Saturday, with some incidents of violence and clashes, a week after unrest erupted across the country.
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