Aviation Unions Say Mass Flight Cancelations Soon Likely Due to Shutdown: The System Will Completely ‘Unravel’

President Donald Trump‘s government shutdown may soon have dire consequences on the aviation system, according to representatives of two major aviation unions.

“If these workers can’t do their job, I can’t do mine,” said Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, in a CNN panel Monday. “And these federal workers cannot cash thank you’s. They can’t. They have stressors on their family. They can’t even put a tank of gas in their car to get it to work. And as this starts to crumble and unravel, we’re going to see mass flight cancellations, we’re going to see a system that completely unravels and falls apart. We’ll not have private jets taking off to get people to the Super Bowl. No one will be able to get to Atlanta. This is going to have a massive economic impact.”

Nelson added the extent of the effects of the current shutdown on aviation workers and those relying on the aviation system is unknown, but that the country is “less safe and secure” from people entering the country by air because of it. She urged Congress to hurry and act on shutdown bills before things get out of hand.

“We cannot wait for what may happen to us if you do not do that,” she said.

Dan McCabe, a spokesperson for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said his industry was already struggling with low staffing levels, and that the people keeping the airways secure may eventually walk off the job.

“There’s no gauge as to where someone’s breaking point is at,” said McCabe. “Is it one paycheck, is it two paychecks, is it four paychecks? My biggest fear is that as people reach their breaking point that they’ll begin to quit.”

Watch above, via CNN.