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With the federal government headed toward making across-the-board budget cuts beginning Friday, officials are warning that the coming sequestration will make things even more unpleasant at the area’s airports.
Speaking at Reagan Washington National Airport on Monday morning, a group of Virginia lawmakers and travel industry representatives warned that if Congress and the White House fail to hammer out a deficit reduction deal, the consequent furloughs to the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration will make air travel an even more loathsome experience.
“Sequestration will not just impact federal employees; it will affect every American who flies for business or vacation,” Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) said.
For days, top officials such as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have warned that sequestration will bring significant furloughs to the FAA, which employs the nation’s air traffic controllers.
“As a result of these cuts, the vast majority of FAA’s nearly 47,000 employees will be furloughed for approximately one day per pay period until the end of the fiscal year, and in some cases it could be as many as two days,” LaHood said at a White House press conference last Friday. “Flights to major cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco and others could experience delays of up to 90 minutes during peak hours because we have fewer controllers on staff. Delays in these major airports will ripple across the country.”
With much of that traffic coming out of the D.C. area’s three airports, the sequestration’s impact would be felt quite heavily here. “This adds up to less security at our airports, longer wait times for travelers, and lost economic opportunities,” Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said at the airport press conference today. “Congress must act in a swift, balanced fashion to stop these across the board cuts.”
The D.C. area’s airports handle thousands of flights every day. National handled 23,498 domestic, international, and cargo flights last December, while Dulles International Airport handled 24,737.
