Chris Sununu, CEO of Airlines for America and a former Republican governor of New Hampshire, advised travelers to prepare for potential disruptions as the ongoing government shutdown affects air travel. “While you should still plan to fly, it’s wise to pack your patience and allow extra time for your journey,” Sununu stated during an appearance on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday” with Chris Stirewalt.

Airlines for America, a leading trade group representing major U.S. airlines, welcomed Sununu to their leadership team last month. His remarks come as the aviation industry navigates challenges posed by the shutdown.

FlightAware, a prominent flight-tracking platform, reported that on Sunday, around 5,200 flights within, into, or out of the U.S. experienced delays, alongside nearly 100 cancellations. The previous day, Saturday, saw over 5,700 flights delayed and more than 320 cancellations.

Despite these figures, it remains unclear how many of these disruptions were directly linked to staffing shortages, a common concern during government shutdowns.

It is unclear, however, how many of those delays and cancellations were due to staffing shortages. 

Amid the shutdown, which began on Oct. 1, air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents are working without pay. In Janury 2019, during the most recent government shutdown, an increase in air traffic controllers taking sick days led to travel issues along the East Coast.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told Fox Business on Oct. 9 that the average share of delays stemming from controller shortages, which was 5 percent before the shutdown, had increased to 53 percent.

Sununu acknowledged an increase in delays but said that “nobody should cancel” their Thanksgiving travel plans. 

“We’ll see where it goes, some slight delays across the country,” Sununu added. “May increase a little bit this week, but overall there’s no cancellations [due to shortages] and safety is absolutely paramount.”