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Passengers across the United States are preparing for increasing disruptions as workforce gaps at airports further deteriorate during the ongoing government closure, now reaching its seventh day.

Escalating Worries Over Aviation System

Labor leaders for flight controllers and TSA agents have cautioned that the situation is likely to deteriorate, with staffing challenges reported at several major airports including facilities in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Nashville and Philadelphia.

"The risk of broader effects to the American air travel network continues to increase by the day," commented aviation expert Henry Harteveldt.

He expressed grave concern that if the shutdown continues, it could possibly interfere with millions of Americans' Thanksgiving travel plans in November.

Flight Delays and Operational Issues

Workforce gaps, featuring an increased rate of workers taking sick leave, impacted key facilities around Denver, Los Angeles and New York on Monday, causing postponements affecting more than 6,000 flights across the country.

• The Burbank facility's flight control was briefly shut down and responsibilities were managed by another facility
• Nashville airport experienced delays of approximately two hours due to workforce challenges
• O'Hare Airport in Chicago recorded average delays of 41 minutes
• Dallas-Fort Worth experienced delays logged at half an hour

Industry Response and Union Position

The National Air Traffic Controllers Association stressed that it does not endorse any organized actions that could adversely impact the National Airspace System.

The organization stated that air traffic controllers value their duty to ensure passenger security extremely earnestly and participating in any job action could result in termination of employment.

Government Perspective

The Transportation Department head the transportation official alerted that the country's air traffic control system is being harmed from the continuing federal closure.

"They're not just thinking about the flight paths," he commented regarding air traffic controllers who are working without pay. "They're thinking about, 'Am I going to get a paycheck'?"

He observed that many controllers live paycheck to paycheck and cannot afford extended periods without compensation.

Wider Consequences

According to emergency preparations, approximately 25% of the workforce, or more than 11,000 FAA employees, were temporarily laid off when the closure started last week.

However, thirteen thousand flight controllers continue working, with hiring and training continuing as well.

Union president Nick Daniels indicated that the closure has highlighted existing challenges faced by flight controllers, including staff shortages and aging technology.

He explained that the circumstances is especially serious at regional facilities where limited staffing creates further difficulties.

Despite the extensive postponements, aviation analytics indicated that approximately 92% of departures from American airports departed as scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon.

The aviation regulator had not activated a "workforce threshold" that would decrease the number of flights in and out of airports, indicating that operations were continuing despite the challenges.