The Department of Transportation might be forced to shut down the airspace in certain parts of the country if the government shutdown continues into next week.

The shutdown has taken a toll on the staffing levels of air traffic controllers, with roughly 13,000 working without pay.

The secretary of transportation predicted “mass chaos” next week if controllers have to continue to go without pay through a shutdown.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that the ongoing government shutdown may result in the closure of portions of U.S. airspace, which he predicts will lead to "mass chaos."

The Department of Transportation might be forced to shut down the airspace in certain parts of the country if the government shutdown continues into next week.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the agency may need to close "certain parts of the airspace" if the shutdown continues.

Closures of U.S. airspace could be ahead as the U.S. government shutdown drags on, warns U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The shutdown has now tied the record for the longest-lasting and should it persist for another week, “you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays, you will...

It’ll be a disaster in aviation,” Duffy exclaimed. “October is a slower, air travel month, and we have great weather in October.”