Official government data show it is safe to fly during the ongoing government shutdown.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the number of incidents of planes coming too close to each other in the air and on the ground is roughly the same as it was a year ago. There has also been a 4 percent decrease in those incidents, called deviations, since the government shutdown began Dec. 22.
Other statistics such as pilot-reported safety incidents have plummeted 14 percent compared to the same period last year.
The Trump administration has tried to assure air travelers that flying is safe despite air traffic controllers working without pay because of the shutdown, which is now in its fifth week.
A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told the Journal Monday, "We have not observed any appreciable difference in performance over the last several weeks compared to the same periods during the previous two years."
A concern among air travelers has been the rising rate of TSA security screeners not showing up for work because of the shutdown. Over the weekend, the sick-out rate reached 10 percent.
The union that represents air traffic controllers recently filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump because of the shutdown, which began over of a squabble regarding border security.
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