ENGLISH NEWS BRIEFING
Summary
The recent U.S. government shutdown exacerbated a pre-existing shortage of air traffic controllers, leading to widespread flight cancellations and delays affecting over 5 million travelers. Airline executives are now urging lawmakers to ensure that air traffic controllers and TSA workers are paid during any future shutdowns to prevent similar disruptions.
Key Points
- Staffing Crisis: The U.S. was already short of 3,903 fully certified air traffic controllers. The shutdown worsened this, with retirements increasing from 4 to 15-20 per day.
- Travel Disruption: Over 5 million passengers were affected by cancellations and delays. Last Sunday saw more than 10% of U.S. departures canceled.
- Financial Impact: Bank of America estimated a $150M-$200M operating income hit for major airlines due to the shutdown.
- Industry Response: Airlines are pushing for legislation to use funds from airplane ticket taxes to pay essential workers during future shutdowns.
- Long-term Challenges: Controller training takes years, and the academy has age limits, making immediate solutions difficult.
中文新闻简报
总结
近期美国政府的停摆加剧了原本就存在的空中交通管制员短缺问题，导致大范围的航班取消和延误，影响了超过500万旅客。航空公司高管正敦促立法者确保在未来任何政府停摆期间，空中交通管制员和运输安全管理局工作人员都能获得薪酬，以防止类似的中断。
关键点
- 人员配备危机：美国原本就短缺3903名完全认证的空中交通管制员。停摆使情况恶化，退休人数从每天4人增加到15-20人。
- 旅行中断：超过500万乘客因取消和延误受到影响。上周日美国超过10%的出发航班被取消。
- 财务影响：美国银行估计，主要航空公司因停摆遭受了1.5亿至2亿美元的运营收入损失。
- 行业回应：航空公司正在推动立法，利用机票税产生的资金在未来停摆期间支付必要工作人员的工资。
- 长期挑战：管制员培训需要数年时间，且学院有年龄限制，使得即时解决方案难以实现。
Original Article Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/15/government-shutdown-air-traffic-controllers.html