As the US government shutdown enters its third week, the US travel industry continues to face disruptions.
At airports across the country, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers and air traffic controllers have been working without pay, but many have started to call in sick due to financial hardship.
Workers received their last paycheck from before the shutdown earlier this week with the next paycheck only likely after the shutdown ends.
Air traffic controller shortages have been reported in cities across the US, including airports in Boston and Philadelphia and control centres in Atlanta and Houston. Flight delays have spread to airports in Nashville, Dallas, Newark and more.
According to AP News, there has been an increase in unscheduled absences of security screeners at some airports. The union representing TSA workers said this had not caused major disruptions, but it warned that longer lines at security checkpoints were likely.
Transport Secretary Sean Duffy has warned that air traffic controllers who call in sick during the government shutdown may be fired, claiming that they have accounted for more than half of all flight delays during the shutdown so far, reports Forbes.
The US Travel Association is estimating that the shutdown is costing the travel economy $1bn (R17,3bn) each week in lost spending. The number currently stands at $2,1bn (R36,3bn), according to a live tracker on its website.
