US air travel disrupted as government shutdown enters fourth week

More than 8,000 flights were delayed across the United States on October 26 as widespread air traffic controller absences continued to disrupt air travel, coinciding with the 26th day of the federal government shutdown.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faced staffing issues at 22 locations on October 25 and warned that additional shortages were expected, likely resulting in further flight delays and cancellations in the coming days, Reuters reports.

According to FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, more than 8,000 US flights had been delayed by 11 p.m. ET on October 26 (0400 GMT October 27), up from around 5,300 on October 25. Flight delays have consistently remained above average since the shutdown began on October 1.

Among major US carriers, Southwest Airlines (LUV.N) saw 45% of its operations—about 2,000 flights—delayed on October 26, while American Airlines (AAL.O) reported nearly 1,200 delays, or about a third of its scheduled flights. United Airlines (UAL.O) experienced delays on 24% (739) of its flights, and Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) reported 610 delayed flights, accounting for 17% of its schedule, according to FlightAware data.

Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers continue to work without pay during the shutdown. The growing number of air travel disruptions has heightened concerns that the political impasse is increasingly affecting daily life for Americans, potentially adding pressure on lawmakers to resolve the budget standoff.

Secretary Duffy said the FAA had recorded 22 “triggers” indicating staffing shortages—a figure he described as “one of the highest that we’ve seen in the system” since October 1.

“That’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” Duffy said.

The FAA implemented ground delay programs due to staffing shortages at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Washington’s Reagan National Airport, and Newark Liberty International Airport. A temporary ground stop was also issued at Los Angeles International Airport, though it was later lifted.

The Trump administration has cautioned that flight disruptions could worsen as air traffic controllers miss their first full paycheck on October 21. Controllers previously received a partial paycheck at 90% of their regular pay two weeks ago, but this week’s pay period would have been their first without compensation for work performed entirely in October.

Controllers are increasingly seeking alternative income sources to cope with missed paychecks, Duffy added.

“They’re taking second jobs, they’re out there looking,” he said.

The FAA is currently about 3,500 controllers short of its target staffing levels, with many employees already working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks prior to the shutdown.

A similar situation occurred during the 35-day government shutdown in 2019, when growing absenteeism among air traffic controllers and TSA officers led to longer wait times and forced authorities to slow air traffic in New York and Washington.

Duffy and other Republican officials have accused Democrats of blocking a “clean” short-term funding bill without policy conditions. Democrats, meanwhile, have blamed President Donald Trump and his party for refusing to negotiate over health care subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.

By Vafa Guliyeva