How Will The Sequester Impact Your Air Travel?

Most Americans have not been following the political fight over the automatic sequestration that will go into effect on March 1 unless Congress deals with it before then. But for opponents of the spending cuts, there may be no better argument for the politically unaware than this: air travel is going to become a lot more annoying. Yes, according to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, if Congress does not act before the sequester goes into effect, thousands of FAA employees will be furloughed and flight delays could go up to 90 minutes.

RELATED: Sec. Of Trans. Ray LaHood: Congress ‘Went On Vacation’ Instead Of Acting On FAA Partial Shutdown

LaHood spoke today at the White House press briefing and laid out in clear terms exactly what the automatic spending cuts will mean for air travelers.

“Flights to major cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco and others could experience delays of up to 90 minutes during peak hours because we have fewer controllers on staff”…LaHood said the sequestration cuts, part of the 2011 Budget Control Act, would result in furloughs for

the FAA’s nearly 47,000 employees, including air traffic controllers.

LaHood, a former member of Congress, recalled how he received call after call from constituents about long delays at the airport, and predicted that members of the current Congress would receive similar calls if the Department of Transportation is forced to cut $600 billion from the Federal Aviation Administration.

LaHood denied that the Obama administration was engaging in “scare tactics” by highlighting the dangers of the impending budget cuts. He clarified that he is still a member of the Republican party, and admitted that the White House is “hoping that maybe one [Republican] can influence some of the folks in my party.”

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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac