*

Shutdown causes surge in flight delays, staffing shortages

worsen

*

FAA faces significant air traffic controller staffing

shortfall

*

Delta and United push for stop-gap funding bill

(Adds statements from Southwest ( LUV ), American, Delta in paragraphs

4-8)

By David Shepardson and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Vice President JD Vance

on Thursday warned of a potential holiday meltdown if a

government shutdown stretches into the busy Thanksgiving holiday

travel season and urged Democrats to provide the votes to reopen

the government.

Vance said after a White House meeting with the CEOs of

American Airlines ( AAL ) and United Airlines, unions

and other aviation industry officials that a shutdown into late

November could lead to more employee absences and much longer

security lines and flight delays.

"It could be a disaster. It really could be, because at that

point you're talking about people have missed three paychecks,"

Vance said. "How many of them are not going to show up for

work?"

Delta Air Lines ( DAL ), United, Southwest Airlines ( LUV ) and

American all called on Congress to quickly pass a stop-gap

funding bill known as a continuing resolution or "CR" to let the

government reopen and discussions continue over health care

policy disputes.

A 30-day government shutdown has led to a surge in flight

delays due to air traffic controller absences and impacted

thousands of flights, the Transportation Department said.

"It's putting stress on the economy," United CEO Scott Kirby

told reporters, adding it was impacting bookings. "It is time to

pass a clean CR."

Delta said "a system under stress must be slowed down,

reducing efficiency and causing delays for the millions of

people who take to the skies every day."

The shutdown has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers

and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers to

work without pay, the sources added.

Airlines have repeatedly urged an end to the shutdown,

citing aviation safety risks.

The meeting comes as the shutdown exacerbates pre-existing

staffing shortages. This has led to a spike in unscheduled

absences, threatening to cause widespread disruptions similar to

those that helped end a 35-day government shutdown in 2019.

Duffy said 44% of delays on Sunday and 24% on Monday were

caused by air traffic controller absences, compared to 5% on

average before the shutdown.

Hundreds of air traffic controllers have taken second jobs

to pay bills after missing their first full paycheck on Tuesday,

and airlines and others are donating food to TSA agents and

other federal workers at airports.

The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of

targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory

overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.