Air Travel Chaos Escalates Amid Government Shutdown

Mon Nov 10 2025 15:47:42 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

With the federal government in shutdown, air travel across the U.S. sees significant flight cancellations and delays, impacting thousands of passengers.V

As the government shutdown continues, U.S. airlines have canceled over 2,900 flights this past weekend, with projections of worsening delays and cancellations expected. Air traffic controllers, who have been without pay for nearly a month, are increasingly missing work, prompting the FAA to impose mandatory flight reductions. The Senate has taken initial steps toward ending the shutdown, but it may take time for operations to normalize, especially ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

NEW YORK (AP) — The agony faced by American travelers at airports across the nation is anticipated to worsen this week if congressional leaders fail to resolve the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Over the weekend, U.S. airlines canceled approximately 1,500 flights on Saturday alone, followed by more than 2,900 cancellations on Sunday, in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) orders instructing a reduction in air traffic as many air traffic controllers, who have not received pay for nearly a month, began to absent themselves from work.

As of early Monday, reports indicated nearly 1,600 flights were canceled for the day, and another 1,000 anticipated for Tuesday. The Senate made a preliminary move toward potentially resolving the shutdown on Sunday, but any final agreement could still be several days away, with experts warning it will take additional time for flight schedules to stabilize even after a resolution.

Airports, particularly in metropolitan hubs such as Newark, Orlando, Chicago, and Detroit, are experiencing significant delays, with wait times exceeding an hour for numerous flights that remain operational, as reported by FlightAware.

This marks the second consecutive pay cycle without wages for many air traffic controllers. Nick Daniels, head of the air traffic controllers' union, is expected to hold a press conference on Monday to address the severe repercussions of the shutdown on its members.

The delays and cancellations are likely to escalate as airlines struggle to reposition staff, pilots, and aircraft due to the decreasing number of available air traffic controllers. The FAA has imposed a 4% mandatory reduction in flight operations this past weekend, with plans to increase this reduction to 6% on Tuesday and potentially 10% as the weekend approaches. According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, cuts of up to 20% may become necessary if conditions worsen.

Duffy noted that the number of air traffic controllers is dwindling daily as many controllers forgo their work amid ongoing financial stress without a paycheck. The government has been experiencing a shortage of air traffic controllers for years, and multiple administrations have struggled to encourage older controllers to stay longer. The ongoing shutdown has exacerbated the workforce issues, prompting some controllers to expedite their retirements.

While a 4% cut may seem modest, it significantly impacts operations within the 40 busiest and most congested airports across the country. The FAA stresses that these reductions are crucial for maintaining the safety of travelers, as the remaining controllers are tasked with providing longer hours and mandatory overtime while funding remains inactive.

If a resolution is not achieved soon, the plight of air travelers may intensify, particularly as the holiday travel season approaches, with Duffy warning that travel could be reduced to a trickle by the week leading up to Thanksgiving.