PHOENIX – Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton of Arizona said Wednesday that air safety remains a top priority as staffing shortages hamstring airport operations across the country during the government shutdown.

“The United States does have the safest air system in the entire world, but we’re not perfect and we always have to look for opportunities to upgrade. And yes, obviously, safety always needs to be the No. 1 concern,” Stanton told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.

Stanton discussed the issue a day after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that staffing shortages could worsen if air traffic controllers miss a second paycheck next week due to the shutdown.

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