Air Travel Crisis Worsens Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown

Mon Nov 10 2025 13:47:41 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As the government shutdown continues, the airline industry faces a mounting crisis with thousands of flight cancellations and significant delays due to a shortage of air traffic controllers.

The ongoing federal government shutdown has led to a severe impact on air travel in the United States, with airlines canceling over 4,000 flights in just the past weekend. The FAA has mandated a reduction in flights due to the shortage of air traffic controllers, resulting in significant delays and a growing backlog of travelers. If the situation isn't resolved soon, air travel could become increasingly disrupted, especially with the holiday season approaching.

NEW YORK — The unrest among travelers and airlines is expected to escalate as Congress remains deadlocked over a deal to end the federal government shutdown. The cancellation of over 1,500 flights on Saturday and more than 2,900 on Sunday reflects the immediate effects of the crisis, largely attributed to an FAA order meant to reduce air traffic as air traffic controllers, some of whom haven’t received pay in nearly a month, are abandoning their posts.

As of Monday morning, airlines had already scrapped an additional 1,600 flights scheduled for that day and nearly 1,000 for Tuesday. The Senate did take a preliminary step Sunday to address the shutdown; however, experts warn that it will take days to restore flight schedules even if an agreement is reached.

Many major airports are suffering from significant delays, particularly in Newark, Orlando, Chicago, and Detroit, where departure waits are reaching upwards of one hour.

This marks the second consecutive pay period during which air traffic controllers have gone unpaid. The head of their union, Nick Daniels, is scheduled to hold a press conference to discuss how the shutdown is affecting their ability to perform their duties.

The FAA’s mandate for a 4% reduction in flights will escalate to 6% on Tuesday and could reach up to 10% by next weekend. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that further reductions of up to 20% may be necessary if the current trend continues.

Duffy noted that the lack of paid work is driving controllers away from their jobs, and the ongoing crisis has worsened longstanding staffing shortages in air traffic control. Many controllers are accelerating their retirement plans, further straining an already fragile system.

With approximately 40 of the nation’s busiest airports facing the brunt of these reductions, experts assert these measures are crucial to maintaining safety amidst a growing crisis that threatens to engulf the holiday travel season.

If the issues aren’t addressed promptly, significant disruptions in air travel could persist, leading to a “reduced trickle” of flights by Thanksgiving week.