WACO, Texas (KXXV) — We are now more than a week into the federal government shutdown and officials with the Waco Regional Airport said they have not seen any impacts as of yet but the future is uncertain.
“Well we haven’t seen any impacts just yet — the further along this shutdown goes the more impact it will have with our federal partners like the TSA and the FAA," said airport manager James Harris.
Reports show this week there’s been Federal Aviation Administration staffing shortages at airports across the country, with airports in Texas like Houston and DFW seeing delays. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy blames the staffing shortage on the government shutdown and during a press conference earlier this week said there's been an "uptick" in FAA employees calling out sick but added that airspace is still safe.
He said, “So now what they think about as they’re controlling our airspace is 'how am I gonna pay my mortgage' — 'how do I make my car payment' — 'I have a couple of kids at home how do I put food in the table.”
While there are no issues at The Waco Regional Airport right now, what would a federal government shutdown look like here? Harris points to past government shutdowns as a prediction for a potential future — such as staffing shortages and delays at TSA screenings.
He said, “I don’t think this could last too much longer I hope not because our federal guys they’re suffering. It’s a disruption to everything. We’re not seeing the impact yet but we probably will soon.”
