Delta is operating smoothly despite the federal government shutdown, CEO Ed Bastian said Thursday, but that could change if the congressional impasse blocking funding drags on much longer.
In an interview with CNBC, Bastian said Delta hasn’t seen “any real impact at all” from the shutdown. In the eight days since the shutdown started, he noted, the airline’s completion rate relative to its schedule was 99.99%.
Still, Bastian said he wants to see the federal government reopened as soon as possible, before the worsening lack of FAA air traffic controllers further destabilizes the U.S. air transportation system.
“I would say that if this doesn’t get resolved, say beyond another 10 days or so, you probably will start to see some impacts,” he said.
Passengers have faced delays at numerous major airports since Monday, when the U.S. Transportation Department noted a slight uptick in the number of air traffic controllers calling out sick. Controllers, along with TSA officers and other federal workers deemed essential, are expected to continue working during government shutdowns, even though their agencies have no money to pay them.
Air traffic control issues have been particularly acute at Denver International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, as well as at Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area, where no controllers were on duty for close to six hours Monday evening.
