While many Americans are bracing for delays and alternates routes to get around canceled flights, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said flying will simply not be possible for many travelers this Thanksgiving if the government shutdown drags on.

The warning came after he announced reduced flight capacity at top U.S. airports over the coming days due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay during the shutdown, forcing many to call in sick while earning money elsewhere. So far this weekend, thousands of flights have been canceled .

“It’s only going to get worse,” Duffy told CNN on Sunday . “I look to the two weeks before Thanksgiving, you’re going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle.”

In response to staffing shortages, the FAA started with a

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