Head of NASA Threatens to Ground Every Single Commercial Flight Before Thanksgiving

Transportation secretary Sean Duffy, who’s also serving as NASA’s interim administrator, threatened to ground all commercial flights in the United States ahead of American Thanksgiving — some of the busiest air travel days of the year.

An ongoing federal government shutdown has put a massive strain on flight operations since it kicked off on October 1, with air traffic controllers missing paychecks and even being forced to take on second jobs to make ends meet. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pleaded with lawmakers last week to end the shutdown, following major delays and cancellations caused by staffing shortages.

In baffling remarks during a CNBC interview today, Duffy said he may end up grounding all commercial flights if the shutdown ends up impacting air safety.

“If we th