A surge in flight delays and cancellations has sparked dissatisfaction among passengers across the country, and it's not just passengers complaining about problems with planes.
Viral videos posted on social media this week show pilots speaking candidly in cockpits about the sorry state of affairs on the tarmac.
A passenger who said he was on a flight from New York to Dallas posted a video Sunday showing an unnamed Southwest pilot telling passengers about the worsening situation caused by flight delays.
“I don't care what your political beliefs are, but you should really call your senator,” the pilot said. “Because let me tell you, it costs the airlines millions of dollars.”
The pilot told passengers there were about 90 minutes left before takeoff as at least 30 planes were waiting on the runway.
“So it's frustrating. This really upsets me. Because right now it will cost about two hours of our lives on the ground before we even take off. Spend all that gas, all that money, and it just flows into the rest of the system,” the pilot said.
“So now we're cutting capacity by 4%. Next week we will reach 10,” he added. “I had a six-hour layover in Houston last night and the weather was beautiful. This is because air traffic controllers are not paid. So, today is the weekend!
A TikTok account with the handle “sisterhoodwomenttravelers” posted a separate video on Saturday in which the Delta captain made a statement before leaving, saying he would not take off until he could ensure their safety.
“I know we probably have a lot of nervous passengers today. This is completely understandable,” said the unnamed captain. “I want to emphasize that this aircraft will not move an inch until my co-captain Michael and I are absolutely sure it is safe to do so.”
He added that he promised his daughter that he would bring her ice cream.
Similar stories
Business Insider covers the innovation stories you want to know
Business Insider covers the innovation stories you want to know
“And nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing dangerous, stands between me, this little girl, and her ice cream,” the Delta captain said.
A separate video from the United flight, posted on Instagram by journalist Naima Raza, also shows the pilot announcing problems with the flight in the cabin.
“I’ve never had a night like this before and I’ve been at United for 29 years,” the United pilot said. He added that it had been a “very difficult night” but there was little he could do about the delays.
“I'm really sorry,” the pilot said, saying he understood there was “nothing worse” than being stuck on a plane mid-flight.
Delta, Southwest and United did not respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.
The “Saturday Night Live” crew got in on the action, too.
In a skit from this weekend's show, actors James Austin Johnson and Cam Patterson played bored pilots in the cockpit who jump into a microphone to deliver increasingly bizarre news to passengers about sexting, dating and, of course, the “576” in front of them.
“You should be in Cleveland by Christmas,” Johnson’s character said.
Chaos reigns on the roads: air traffic controllers remain without salaries
On October 28, air traffic controllers missed their first full paycheck. Alex Wong/Getty Images
The US is experiencing the longest government shutdown in its history, which lasted 41 days.
no less than 13,000 air traffic controllers were left without wages during the shutdown, according to plan for September 30 from the Department of Transportation.
On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order requiring reduction of flights by 10% at 40 airports.
There were 4,374 flight cancellations between Friday and Sunday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
“Yesterday we had 81 personnel requirements throughout the entire national airspace. That means dispatchers weren't showing up for work,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on CNN on Sunday, adding that travel problems “are only going to get worse.”
Duffy also warned that air travel before Thanksgiving would likely be “reduced to a trickle” and that many people would not be able to fly to see their families.
Some air traffic controllers continue work without pay throughout the entire shutdown period.
President Donald Trump A post on Monday Truth Social suggested that air traffic controllers who called in sick should be punished. Those who show up for work should receive a “$10,000 BONUS per person for outstanding service to our country,” Trump said. He later stated that he did not know where the money for such a bonus would come from.
Washington is getting closer to solving the shutdown problem. Six Democratic senators broke the party line and voted for the measure on Sunday evening, the first step toward reopening the government.
Late Monday, the Senate passed a bill on a funding package that would end the shutdown. The outage will not end immediately; the package must now go to the House of Representatives for approval.
