How Government Shutdown Is Affecting Air Travel and Air Traffic Control

Air travel has been increasingly disrupted due to staffing shortages caused by the federal government shutdown.

As the shutdown nears the four-week mark, many air traffic controllers and other airport staff continue to work without pay, but worker shortages are causing problems.

As of noon on Oct. 28, 1,800 flights were delayed, according to estimates by flight-tracking website FlightAware. On Oct. 27, 7,000 flights were delayed, after 8,800 delays from the previous day.

Here’s what to know about how the shutdown affects air travel. 

What Is Shut Down 

The government shutdown has impacted a number of sectors of government, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which employs air traffic controllers, among other key staff.

A contingency plan released by the FAA indicated that around 46,000 total employees worked under the agency in 2024.

More than 11,300 of those employees were put on leave at the start of this shutdown, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The rest remain on the job, but do so without pay.

Support staff, those working in safety oversight, as well as non-critical logistics workers, were all paused at the start of the shutdown.

In all, the FAA has furloughed around one quarter of its workforce due to the shutdown.

Around 13,000 air traffic controllers are still required to work without pay. However, before the start of the shutdown, the FAA was already short of staffing targets for controllers by around 3,800.

To make matters worse, officials said earlier this month that in addition to the existing shortage, even more controllers are calling out sick during the shutdown, putting additional strain on the nation’s aviation system. Some are working second jobs in order to make ends meet, they said.

“Congress must act now to end this shutdown,” said National Air Traffic Controllers Association President Nick Daniels. “When the federal government shuts down, it introduces unnecessary distractions, and our entire aviation system is weakened. Congress must restore federal funding so that the safety and efficiency of our National Airspace System is not compromised.”

The White House signaled concerns about disruptions on Oct. 23, accusing Democratic lawmakers, who rejected a Republican stopgap proposal that would extend funding temporarily without additional policy items to reopen the government, of prolonging the shutdown.

“We fear there will be significant flight delays, disruptions, and cancellations in major airports across the country this holiday season. If Democrats continue to shut down the government, they will also be shutting down American air travel,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press conference.

Who Is Still Showing Up and Why

While a “government shutdown” sounds cut and dried, there are some “excepted” government employees who are expected to continue working—without pay.

Among them are employees whose work is considered necessary to protect life and property, or those who are mandated by law to continue working regardless of remuneration.

In the case of the FAA, air traffic control services fall into that category, as do those who work on the maintenance and operation of navigational aids, and employees who do safety inspections for flight operations.

Because flights operated by major airlines will continue, the work of some employees is considered necessary to protect life or property. Entire groups are required to keep working as mandated by law, even during a lapse in pay.

While the controllers are not being paid currently, they will receive back pay after the shutdown ends.

However, with diminished support staff, delays have been rampant nationwide.

On Oct. 26, airports across the nation experienced hours-long delays due to the shortage of air traffic controllers. Los Angeles International Airport was forced to issue a ground stop for Bay Area flights that lasted almost two hours.

That same day, New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport experienced a delay of over two hours due to staffing issues, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport delayed departures by about 50 minutes for the same reason. 

Going Forward

Since 2013, there have been three government shutdowns, lasting 16 days, three days, and 35 days, respectively.

This shutdown is currently the second-longest in U.S. history, and as of Oct. 22, the Republican-backed stopgap funding measure was blocked again by the Senate, failing to reach the 60-vote margin to advance. That was the 12th vote taken on the measure.

Should the shutdown continue, controllers might need to add separation between flights and hold aircraft to maintain safety margins, causing further delays.

The FAA alluded to as much in an automated statement sent to The Epoch Times.

“[Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy] has said, there have been increased staffing shortages across the system. When that happens, the FAA slows traffic into some airports to ensure safe operations,” it stated.

Duffy has expressed sympathy and appreciation for employees whose pay was furloughed but who have continued to show up for work throughout the shutdown.

“On Tuesday, 13,000 air traffic controllers will get a $0 paycheck because Democrats are holding the government hostage,” Duffy wrote in an X post on Oct. 26. “I don’t want our controllers going to a FOOD BANK! The fact that they are having to think about how to put food on the table is UNACCEPTABLE.”

Republicans and Democrats blame each other for holding up legislation that would reopen the government.

Democrats have said they will not reopen the government until Republicans give in on health care proposals, such as the Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of this year. The GOP, on the other hand, criticized Democrats for refusing a “clean” short-term resolution without policy additions to end the shutdown, and said that other funding negotiations should continue only when the government reopens.

At an Oct. 6 press conference at Newark Liberty International Airport, the head of the air traffic controllers association said, “We need to bring this shutdown to a close so that the Federal Aviation Administration and the committed aviation safety professionals can put this distraction aside and focus completely on their vital work.”

Jacki Thrapp contributed to this report.