Air Travel Disruption Grows Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown

Mon Nov 10 2025 15:00:51 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Airlines in the U.S. cancel thousands of flights as air traffic controllers continue to face unpaid work amidst a federal government shutdown. Delays are expected to worsen if a resolution is not reached soon.

Amid an ongoing government shutdown, U.S. airlines have canceled over 4,000 flights due to a shortage of air traffic controllers who are not being paid. As delays worsen, more cancellations are expected if the federal government does not quickly resolve its budget issues. The FAA has imposed mandatory flight reductions to manage the staffing crisis, resulting in significant disruptions at several major airports. Transportation officials warn that the situation could degrade even further heading into the holiday travel season.

NEW YORK — Air travel disruptions continue to escalate as the federal government shutdown drags on, resulting in numerous canceled flights and significant delays across the United States.

More than 1,500 flights were canceled on Saturday and over 2,900 on Sunday to adhere to a FAA directive requiring airlines to reduce operations due to staffing shortages stemming from unpaid air traffic controllers. As a result, airlines have already canceled nearly 1,600 flights for Monday and approximately 1,000 for Tuesday.

The Senate made a move towards ending the shutdown on Sunday, but a resolution may still take several days. Experts warn that normal flight operations may take time to resume even after the government reopens.

Several major airports, including Newark, Orlando, Chicago, and Detroit, are grappling with delays of over an hour on departures. The ongoing shutdown marks the second pay period during which air traffic controllers have not received their paychecks. Nick Daniels, the head of the controllers' union, is scheduled to address the media on Monday regarding the situation's impact.

The FAA has mandated a 4% reduction in flights this weekend, which is expected to escalate to 6% on Tuesday and potentially 10% by the upcoming weekend as they manage staff levels. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that flight cuts could rise up to 20% if conditions do not improve.

More controllers aren’t coming to work day by day, the further they go without a paycheck, Duffy expressed on Sunday. The government has been short of air traffic controllers for years, and the ongoing budget impasse is pushing some controllers to expedite their retirement plans.

In summary, ongoing aerial traffic disruptions are likely to intensify unless quick measures are taken to resolve the government shutdown. The upcoming holiday season inherently brings a rush of traveler activity that could further strain an already precarious situation.