U.S. Transportation Secretary Warns, “I Can’t Guarantee That Your Flight’s Not Going To Be Canceled.” In New Statement

Transportation Security Administration employees at the Orlando International Airport are “feeling a financial strain” as the U.S. government shutdown continues, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The U.S. government shut down on October 1st, and is impacting federal employees across the country. Additionally, the U.S. Transportation Secretary warns travelers may be affected as well.

TSA workers will miss their first full paycheck this weekend (October 25th–26th), per the Orlando Sentinel.

Candise Isla, executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 556, stated, “Many are stretching every dollar, relying on family support, or turning to local food drives and community assistance programs to get by.” Her union represents around 1,300 employees at a total of 11 airports in Central and North Florida.

TSA workers have been able to receive a partial check earlier this month. With no signs of an agreement to end the government shutdown in sight, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority held a food drive for airport staff as they continue to work without pay.

With all this going on, fear has increased as we enter the busiest travel time of the year, as Thanksgiving and the Christmas season approach. At a Capitol Hill news conference, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “I can’t guarantee you that your flight’s going to be on time. I can’t guarantee that your flight’s not going to be canceled. It’s going to depend on our air traffic controllers coming in to work every single day.”

On October 24th, there were a total of 25 delays and 3 cancelations at the Orlando International Airport, which is pretty standard for the airport. That said, there are contingency plans in place if there is a massive decrease in TSA agents processing passengers, according to a statement from the aviation authority.

Federal employees are legally prohibited from striking against the U.S. government. However, during the 35-day shutdown back in 2019, about 10% of TSA workers called in sick.

Florida TSA workers will continue to commit to their jobs and show up to work. “Their dedication to maintaining the safety and security of the traveling public has not wavered,” said Isla.

If you’re looking to help TSA workers any way you can, just be aware that other travelers have tried to give food and gifts directly to TSA workers, but donations at security checkpoints aren’t allowed by agency policy. If you do want to help, you can drop food off at specific sites at the airport.

This will be an important situation to monitor as travel is only going to get busier this time of year. To stay up to date with the latest travel news and updates, make sure to follow us at AllEars.

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