US government shutdown triggers nationwide flight chaos Controllers work without pay

Airport staffing shortages caused thousands of flight delays across the United States on October 7 as overstretched air traffic controllers continued working without pay amid the ongoing government shutdown.

According to US media, seven days into the shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at major airports in Chicago, Las Vegas, Nashville, and Philadelphia, as well as at air traffic control centres in the Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Houston regions

The previous government shutdown in 2019 severely strained U.S. air travel, and analysts now warn that the current situation could deteriorate further if the political impasse in Washington continues

According to flight tracking website FlightAware, more than 3,500 flights were delayed across the country on October 7, including over 570 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and more than 200 at Nashville International Airport

An FAA spokesperson said in an emailed statement that there had been “increased staffing shortages across the system” and explained that when shortages occur, the agency must slow traffic into some airports to maintain safe operations

A representative for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing 20,000 controllers nationwide, said it is working with the FAA to minimise disruptions in the National Airspace System

“It is normal for a few air traffic controllers to call in sick on any given day, and this is the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals,” the NATCA spokesperson said, adding that the union has “consistently warned that the controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and today’s events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring”

The spokesperson noted that nearly 11,000 fully certified controllers remain on the job, many working 10-hour shifts as many as six days a week, showing “extraordinary dedication to safely guiding millions of passengers to their destinations — all without getting paid during this shutdown”

In a statement posted on its website, the union expressed support for Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s plan to modernise the air traffic control system and “supercharge” hiring to address the shortage of 3,800 controllers, warning that “a shutdown suspends these vital efforts and delays this critical modernisation work”

President Trump ended the 2019 partial shutdown after 35 days, coinciding with the FAA’s decision at the time to limit air traffic at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and other major hubs in New Jersey and Florida.

By Tamilla Hasanova