An air marshal union boss has warned it could be “unsafe” to fly around on Thanksgiving because federal agents are missing from flights that were diverted to the US southern border instead.
Travel chaos is already in full swing as storms batter the Plains and Midwest, delaying 3,000 flights through Thursday.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen a record 30 million passengers from November 17 to 28.
But to complicate matters, the airline industry could face a shortage of flight attendants sent to deal with the refugee crisis at the border.
“We are pushing illegal immigrants to the border and alienating the traveling public,” Sonya LaBosco, director of the Air Marshal National Council, told FOX News on Tuesday.
A record 30 million people are expected to fly around Thanksgiving (pictured: Passengers crowd a baggage carousel at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)
Sonya LaBosco, director of the Air Marshal National Council, warns that air marshals are being sent to the U.S.-Mexico border rather than the transportation sector
Travel chaos is already in full swing as storms hit the Plains and Midwest, delaying thousands of flights (Pictured: Travelers wait for their flights at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport)
She explained that agents would be deployed to the country’s southern border rather than in the transportation sector.
These armed and specially trained officers fly disguised as regular passengers and act as onboard law enforcement.
However, LaBosco claimed her organization received an email “that our flying air marshals resources are depleted.”
She said leaders at federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and its subsidiary, the Transportation Security Administration, were responsible for the shortage.
Those deployed to the border are “not performing law enforcement duties” and are instead distributing “water,” LaBosco said.
Last October, DHS sought volunteers from the Federal Air Marshal Service, but when fewer than 150 responded, some were assigned.
The following month, more than a dozen officials planned to opt out.
LaBosco criticized US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for insisting that the border was secure.
“He’s not going to call this a crisis,” she said. “But now not only the border is destabilized, but also our aviation.”
Air Marshals fly disguised as regular passengers and act as onboard law enforcement (pictured: travelers pass through security at Denver International Airport)
But as millions prepare for holiday travel, flying flight attendant “resources” have been exhausted (pictured: Taxis crowd the street at LaGuardia Airport in New York City).
LaBosco’s damage officers stationed at the southern border perform humanitarian work and distribute water instead of carrying out their law enforcement duties
Air marshals were largely limited to “Quiet Skies missions” due to the shortage (Pictured: Passengers wait to check in at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport)
LaBosco urges people to keep an eye out for exit doors and flight attendants because “you’re kind of on your own” (Pictured: Passengers picking up their luggage at LaGuardia Airport)
She announced that due to the shortage, air outposts were largely limited to “Quiet Skies missions.”
The focus of these operations is on travelers who pose an increased security risk. More recently, that has meant tracking people who flew into the U.S. Capitol area around the time of the Jan. 6 riot.
“Either we are at the border for illegal immigrants or we are prosecuting people starting in January 2021,” LaBosco said. “So right now there will be no flight attendants on most flights.”
In her absence, she warned, “you’re kind of on your own.” She encouraged passengers to look for good Samaritans who might be willing to help.
“If something happens, please don’t wait. “There will be no law enforcement to help you, so you have to have a plan,” she said.
“Look where the exit doors are.” Look where your flight attendants are standing around you.
The US is bracing for major Thanksgiving travel chaos as severe storms hit the Plains and Midwest ahead of Thursday and 3,000 flights are already delayed.
More than 2.6 million Americans plan to fly to their turkey dinner destinations on Tuesday — but the weather system is preparing a storm of its own that could derail their plans.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, planes, trains and automobiles across the eastern half of the country will likely be slowed by thunder, rain, sleet and snow – and possibly even tornadoes along the coast of North Carolina.
The Thanksgiving chaos comes as U.S. airlines face their worst year ever for flight delays. 22.33 percent of departures were delayed between January and August. There were more than one million delayed departures during the reporting period, the highest number ever
More than 27 million people from Mississippi to Virginia are at risk of severe storms, the center warns. The swirling storm system is moving eastward, meaning coastal states like New York and Washington will also soon be affected
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government has tried to better prepare for holiday travel over the last year. But he warned: “Of course Mother Nature is the X factor in all this.”
More than 27 million people from Mississippi to Virginia are at risk of severe storms, the center warns. The swirling storm system is moving eastward, meaning coastal states like New York and Washington will also soon be affected.
That could cause travel problems for a record 55.4 million Americans who plan to travel at least 50 miles from home between the Wednesday and Sunday after Thanksgiving, according to AAA forecasts.
The busiest flying days are Tuesday and Wednesday and the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
The Transportation Security Administration expects 2.6 million passengers to be screened on Tuesday and 2.7 million passengers on Wednesday.
Sunday will draw the biggest crowds with an estimated 2.9 million passengers, which would narrowly beat the record set on June 30.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 3,155 flights within, to and from the United States were delayed, causing distress to those who had planned an early departure. U.S. airlines are on track to have their worst flight delays year ever.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker urged travelers to “be kind to the flight crews” who are “working around the clock to ensure passengers get to their destinations safely.”
In his public appeal on X, formerly known as Twitter, he warned that the FAA had “zero tolerance for unruly behavior.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a news conference Monday that the government has tried to better prepare for holiday travel over the last year.
He said measures have been taken such as hiring more air traffic controllers, opening new flight routes along the East Coast and providing grants to airports for snow plows and de-icing equipment.
However, he warned travelers to check road conditions and flight times before leaving home. “Mother Nature is obviously the X factor in all of this,” he said.
The bright spot for travelers by plane and car is that prices are falling. According to travel site Hopper, airfares are averaging $268 per ticket, down 14 percent from a year ago.
Gasoline prices are down about 45 cents per gallon compared to this time last year. According to AAA, the national average was $3.30 per gallon on Monday, down from $3.67 a year ago.