Aviation Safety and the Government Shutdown
The government shutdown has had a hollowing effect on the DMV region. From Northern Virginia to the exurbs of the Maryland borderlands, from Georgetown to Prince George’s county, Federal Workers are scraping by on furlough and hoping for a swift and amicable resolution to the shutdown. We in the private sector are accustomed to treating the federal workforce as our friends and neighbors, and in times of federal turmoil such as these, we feel their absence more keenly than many other portions of the country. However, eventually, the cessation of business as usual in the various federal agencies begins to affect everyone. Take, for example, the department of transportation. Senior officials at DoT have begun to sound the alarm about the possibility of chaos in American air travel and commerce. Malloy Law has the full story on the links between aviation safety, air traffic chaos, and the government shutdown.
A Growing Anxiety
The state of American air travel has been a growing subject of concern over the past 12 months. It’s hard to imagine a DC resident that does not remember the Potomac River air collision of January, 2025. The collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and a US Army helicopter less than half a mile from Ronal Reagan National Airport killed 67 people. It was the deadliest American air disaster since 2001. As a grim aftershock to this first crash, a second January jet crash would rock the city of Philadelphia. Eight people were killed when Medjets Flight 056, an air ambulance, crashed in a residential neighborhood.
These unfortunate incidents would recede into the background as the year went on, but the recent crash of a United Parcel Service cargo plane in Louisville, Kentucky has brought aviation safety back to the forefront of the public consciousness. When coupled with the ongoing government shutdown, there may be ample cause for concern.
Flown Safely? Thank an Air Traffic Controller
Here’s a fun bit of trivia for you: air traffic controller is the highest paid profession available to the rank and file of the American public which does not require a college degree. They most certainly earn their paychecks! The density of air traffic crisscrossing the country at any given moment resembles a web woven by a vast clan of dizzy spiders, all traveling in their own directions. An ATC worker has to monitor commercial jet liners, cargo haulers, and small, private flights. Should any of the blips on a given radar screen go astray, the results could be catastrophic.
American air travel, perhaps more than any other modern convenience, relies on the vast federal workforce. The vast majority of ATC workers are employees of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In the case of a government shutdown, these workers go without pay. While they will be made whole upon the end of the shutdown, this does not free these workers from the daily grind of bills, mortgages, and other day to day expenses. Indeed, Department of Transportation chief Sean Duffy raised the specter of ATC workers taking leaves of absence and driving Ubers just to make ends meet, stretching an already stressed workforce to its breaking point. Duffy’s remarks on aviation safety warn of delays, cancelations, airspace shutdowns, and a general climate of chaos.
If The Unthinkable Should Occur
If the worst should happen, if the long odds should turn against you, if you or a loved one should find yourself victimized by an aviation accident, Malloy Law may be able to help. Our experienced team of attorneys and dedicated, twenty four hour a day support staff is standing by to evaluate your case, free of charge, and plot a path to compensation on your behalf. We’ll seek compensation for injuries, lost wages, disability, emotional trauma, and wrongful death. Don’t face the senselessness of an air disaster alone. Contact Malloy Law today.