The United States (U.S) is currently experiencing flight delays as the ongoing government shutdown stretches into its eighth day on October 8, 2025.
It was gathered that travelers across the U.S are grappling with frustration over widespread flight delays caused by chronic staffing shortages at Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities.
Recall that the government shutdown was sparked by partisan battles over federal spending.
The shutdown, which began at midnight on October 1 after lawmakers failed to pass a funding bill for fiscal year 2026, marks the 11th such event in modern U.S. history and the first since 2019.
With no resolution in sight following failed Senate votes last week, the ripple effects are already hitting airports.
The shutdown has forced essential air traffic controllers to work without pay, exacerbating an already strained aviation workforce and leading to over 6,000 delays on Monday alone.
Air traffic controllers, deemed essential workers, are required to report for duty despite the funding lapse, but a “slight tick-up in sick calls,” as described by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, has triggered widespread disruptions.
Duffy stated: “Controllers have not yet missed a paycheck, but continue to worry about what happens when they do.
“This is their living. They’re concerned now that if they don’t get their paychecks, how do I pay my mortgage? How do I pay my car payment? What do I do to put food on the table?
“The next payday is October 14, but unless the government reopens before then, controllers will only be paid for time worked before the shutdown. If government operations have not resumed, October 28 would be the first scheduled payday that controllers aren’t paid at all.”
On Tuesday, delays persisted at major gateways including Newark Liberty International, Denver International, and Phoenix Sky Harbor, where ground stops prohibited takeoffs to maintain safety margins.
The Hollywood Burbank Airport in California also reported that it faced the most severe blow when its control tower shut down entirely on Monday evening due to zero staffing, forcing pilots to rely on common traffic advisory frequencies (CTAF) and resulting in over two-and-a-half hours of backups.
Transportation Secretary, Duffy said the U.S is experiencing flight delays because some air traffic controllers have begun calling in sick due to the shutdown. He estimated that staffing has at times dropped to 50% in some areas.
About 3,200 US flights were delayed as of Tuesday afternoon, according to FlightAware.
Also, speaking on the development, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) said that the U.S. is experiencing flight delays because a small number of controllers called in sick, showing how understaffed and fragile the air traffic control system is.
This was made known by Nick Daniels, NATCA president.
Daniels asserted: “We are critically staffed with unreliable equipment, and we deal with these issues, and it’s a part of the resiliency and the redundancy that we advocate for, of needing that in the system.
“We can work with the FAA to address the issues when they come up, make a plan, and ultimately ensure the safety of the flying public. These types of scenarios aren’t a new creation; they are a reality that air traffic controllers face day in and day out.”
However, Daniels warned employees that failure to show up could lead to termination.
“Participating in a job action could result in removal from federal service. It is not only illegal, but it also undermines NATCA’s credibility and severely weakens our ability to effectively advocate for you and your families,” he added.
Also, Drew MacQueen, a union official with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said that his colleagues are overworked and overstressed from not being paid.
“Air traffic controllers didn’t start the shutdown and certainly air traffic controllers aren’t going to end the shutdown. That’s up to the politicians,” MacQueen said.
“What they don’t need is the fatigue of dealing with that job while being short-staffed, working six days a week, 10 hours a day,” he continued. “Now they’re worried about when they’ll get paid.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that in 2019, the last time the U.S had a government shutdown, strain on air travel helped end the impasse.
At the time, the shutdown had entered its fifth week and disrupted airline operations, including pilot training.
It prompted several air traffic controllers to stay home on the same day on 25 January 2019, temporarily shutting down travel at New York’s LaGuardia airport.
That same day, U.S President Donald Trump, who at the time was in his first term as president, agreed to sign a short-term spending bill, effectively ending the government shutdown after 35 days.
