U.S. Flight Delays Worsen as Government Shutdown Continues

Mon Nov 03 2025 04:09:37 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Travelers face significant delays at various U.S. airports due to air traffic controller shortages as the government shutdown deepens. Officials advise checking flight statuses before arriving at airports.

As the government shutdown enters its second month, air traffic controller shortages are causing widespread flight delays across major U.S. airports, with Newark Airport experiencing delays of up to three hours. Travelers are urged to stay informed about their flight statuses and expect prolonged wait times.

Flight delays have intensified across U.S. airports on Sunday as air traffic controller shortages become a pressing issue during the government shutdown, now in its second month. Newark Airport in New Jersey is seeing significant delays, with wait times reaching two to three hours.

The New York City Emergency Management office warned on social media platform X that delays at Newark are likely to affect travel at neighboring airports. Passengers flying to, from, or through the New York area should prepare for schedule changes, gate holds, and potential missed connections. It is advisable for travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

Multiple other major airports, including George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, and Chicago O'Hare, are also experiencing numerous delays and some cancellations. Other affected airports include those in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Miami, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has expressed concerns that ongoing government funding issues will lead to further disruptions in air travel as air traffic controllers work without pay. We work overtime to ensure the system remains safe. Delays and canceled flights are a necessary measure to maintain safety, Duffy stated during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan”.

Duffy emphasized that air traffic controllers needing financial support should not fear job loss while prioritizing their family’s well-being, indicating, I’m not going to fire air traffic controllers for making decisions to feed their families.” Previously, Duffy raised alarms that controllers who called in sick during the shutdown could be at risk of termination.

Data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicates that close to 13,000 air traffic controllers are currently working unpaid, exacerbating staffing shortages in regional control centers and individual airport towers.

Despite these challenges, prior to the shutdown, the FAA was already grappling with a comprehensive shortage of approximately 3,000 controllers. However, the aviation analytics firm Cirium noted a generally strong on-time performance at major U.S. airports throughout October, suggesting that not all staffing shortages have consistently resulted in flight disruptions.