Shutdown shows frailty of air travel system moving millions

The upheaval in air travel, as flight delays and cancellations continue to mount this week, is cascading through the nation's economy, impacting thousands of businesses and millions of travelers. And with the holiday season approaching, the chaotic situation likely won't improve quickly, even if the government shutdown ends. 

The shutdown's turbulent effect on air travel has exposed anew the fragility of an air traffic control system that already was suffering from severe staffing shortages and equipment shortcomings. For air traffic controllers, a difficult and stressful job was made worse, as they missed multiple paychecks. Some quit, while others took a paying second job or called in sick.

That's why the Federal Aviation Administration's requirement that airlines reduce their flights in major cities is such a harsh warning: safety could not be maintained. 

President Donald Trump's response to the controllers was especially troubling. "You will have a negative mark, at least in my mind, against your record," Trump said of those who took time off or complained. Trump also said he'd recommend a $10,000 bonus to anyone who didn't take time off — those he called "GREAT PATRIOTS." 

Forcing more controllers out of the system — there already is a shortage of 3,000 — will only worsen the problem.

Criticizing the very essential workers we need isn't helpful — and it's not the way to manage the nation's complex air travel network. There's nothing partisan about flight delays and cancellations. The need for safety in our skies is the one issue everyone can agree on.

The shutdown further exposed an already frail system that is undermined by how air traffic controllers are recruited and trained, the antiquated technology they use, and the enormous stakes of every move they make. We must provide the system with sufficient and well-trained controllers and all tools they need to do their jobs well.

Last spring, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a massive plan to upgrade air traffic equipment, software and facilities within four years. That nascent effort is still in process. But what's clear from this crisis is that there's more to do. Expanding recruitment and improving training are critical, though both will be more difficult after the shutdown. What we learned is that there is no backup plan for future shutdowns — or other unforeseen circumstances.

Even as the shutdown appears on its way to being resolved and, as Duffy has predicted, air travel could return to normal by Thanksgiving, he and others at the Department of Transportation and the FAA must speed up the plan to modernize the system. Congress must hold hearings to assess their progress. Then they must do whatever's necessary to upgrade and reinforce our air travel systems and address workers' needs, so this doesn't happen again.

Only then can the nation's air travel industry truly be cleared for takeoff.