Pilot warns passengers of US government shutdown effects following flight chaos | indy100

Frustrated pilot warns passengers about impact of government shutdown

New York Post / VideoElephant

A pilot has warned airplane passengers of the severe effects the US government shutdown is having amid flight chaos.

In the US, thousands of flights nationwide have been cancelled due to shortages in air traffic controllers, which have only worsened due to the US government being shut down since 1 October.

Under the Donald Trump administration’s orders, domestic flights at 40 major airports have been cut. Meanwhile, US president Trump himself ordered in a post on Truth Social: “Air Traffic Controllers must get back to work, NOW!!!”

In his post, Trump threatened air traffic controllers who don’t go to work (unpaid, as it stands), will be “docked”, while also suggesting those who do will get a $10,000 bonus, but where from remains unclear.

A viral TikTok filmed by a passenger onboard a flight from New York to Dallas, Texas, showed a pilot standing in the cabin and addressing passengers over the system, explaining what the government shutdown means for air travel.

“I don’t really care what your political persuasion is, but you should really call your senator,” the pilot urged passengers. “I’ll tell you, this is costing the airlines millions of dollars. And just think of 30 airplanes with one engine running, it’s gonna take us at least 90 minutes to take off.”

He continued: “It’s frustrating, it’s really frustrating for me, because right now it’s going to cost about two hours of our lives on the ground before we even take off, spend all that gas, all that money. And it just rolls into the rest of the system.”

According to the pilot, the US was at a four per cent reduction in flight capacity, which he suggested was going to get worse and to go up to 10 per cent in the near future.

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