The political crisis over America's debt has also created problems in the sky. The Department of Transportation's civil aviation oversight agency has forced thousands of employees on furloughs, also freezing $2,5 billion earmarked for airport upgrades and construction. A paralysis into which the Federal Aviation Administration has been forced by the ongoing warfare between Democrats and Republicans, who have not yet approved the extension of the funds the agency would need.
This is just one of the chapters of that soap opera that has been on stage in Congress for weeks, where the two major parties have so far failed to reach an agreement on raising the public debt ceiling. The August 2 deadline is getting closer and by now the hypothesis of a technical default for the world's leading economy no longer seems an unattainable absurdity.
For the time being, air traffic is not affected by the possible repercussions of a default, as flight controllers and other "essential" employees are still on duty, reports the Los Angeles Times. In California alone, however, 206 jobs and $131 million in funds could be compromised for new control towers at Oakland International Airport and Palms Spring International Airport.
To know more:
The Washington Post
