Department of Transportation may close parts of airspace if government shutdown continues, Duffy says

WASHINGTON - Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday that the U.S. might be forced to close parts of its airspace if staffing shortages amid the government shutdown continue.

The shutdown, which is dragging into its second month, has meant that essential workers, including air traffic controllers, have been working without pay. This has led to a shortage of anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 controllers, according to Duffy.

Flight delays and cancellations have been piling up in airports across the U.S. following the government shutdown.

Duffy said the situation in U.S. airports will only get worse as the shutdown drags on. Addressing air travel safety, Duffy said flight delays and cancellations are ways to ensure safety.

In a statement, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said airports in Houston experienced "longer than normal delays in screening" due to staffing shortages over the weekend.

"While the vast majority of our nationwide operations remain minimally impacted by the government shutdown, occasional delays are to be expected," the TSA said in the statement. "The longer the shutdown goes on, the more severe the impact on our TSA workforce who have expenses they must pay for, making it harder to show up for work when not being paid."

On Tuesday afternoon, more than 1,800 flights traveling within, to, and out of the U.S. were delayed, and over 50 were canceled, according to FlightAware.com. Newark Liberty International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport account for most of it, with over 150 delays and 14 cancellations between them. It is not immediately clear if all the delayed flights were due to staffing.

Arrivals at Arizona's Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport were delayed by almost an hour due to staffing issues on Tuesday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The weekend saw the most difficult travel conditions yet, with more than 5,000 flights departing and arriving at U.S. airports delayed on Sunday alone. (Source: NBC News)