Government Watchdog Warns of Thanksgiving Travel Headaches

Arlington, VA (November 25, 2024)—Ahead of the Thanksgiving long weekend, the Center for Transportation Policy (CTP) is warning travelers about the possibility of government-caused travel headaches. Because of a nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it may need to slow down air traffic. 

During a recent news conference, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker noted, “During the Thanksgiving travel period, we will use traffic flow management initiatives to deal with any staffing shortages on that particular day in this airspace, and we expect to have some of those shortages.”

As a result, passengers could experience delays and cancellations during what is expected to be the busiest travel period in U.S. history. Airlines for America—the industry’s trade association—is predicting more than 31 million people to fly on U.S. carriers over Thanksgiving, up from 29 million in 2023. 

Jackson Shedelbower, CTP executive director, released the following statement:

“The federal government is short roughly 3,000 air traffic controllers nationwide, staffing troubles that are causing big travel headaches for holiday travelers. It’s an unacceptable situation that underscores ongoing operational concerns at the government-run FAA. The incoming administration needs to make addressing staffing shortages a priority.”