Air Travel Chaos Looms Amid Ongoing Government Shutdown

ARLINGTON, Virginia — Airlines warned of continued disruptions to air travel as the federal government shutdown stretches into another week. Officials note that delays and cancellations are already affecting millions of travelers.

The Senate passed a bill late Monday aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, sending it to the House for a vote. Millions have faced travel disruptions since the shut down began on October 1, largely due to understaffed air traffic control systems. Controllers have missed two full paychecks during this period and reported high stress levels, leading some to take second jobs.

“Airlines’ reduced flight schedules cannot immediately bounce back to full capacity right after the government reopens,” said Airlines for America, a lobbying group representing major carriers. The organization stressed that airlines will need time to reassess schedules and manage their crews.

More than 5 million flyers have been affected since the shutdown started last month, with some seeking alternatives like buses and rental cars. Flight cancellations saw a spike over the past weekend, with recorded rates peaking at 10.2% of scheduled flights on Sunday, before slightly improving to 8.7% on Monday.

The pressure on air traffic controllers has increased since the Trump administration required commercial airlines to cut domestic flights during high-volume periods at 40 major U.S. airports. As the Thanksgiving travel week approaches, aviation groups fear that the backlog of cancellations may worsen, making the holiday travel period more problematic.

Experts emphasize the implications of the controller shortage on travel safety. Eash Sundaram, a former airline technology officer, noted, “There are significant challenges with these cancellations inside an airline, because it’s not easy to cancel randomly every day.”

Controllers expressed frustration at being forced to work without pay, and some may choose not to return immediately. This exodus comes amid renewed efforts by the Department of Transportation to hire more controllers. Duffy, the Transportation Secretary, indicated that efforts to retain staff ahead of mandatory retirements were already hindered by the shutdown.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, mentioned that the average rate of retirements went from four per day before the shutdown to 20 to 25 per day since it started.

Given the looming travel demands with Thanksgiving around the corner, Secretary Duffy highlighted the urgent need to resolve the shutdown. “If we can’t get it done this week, we’re starting to get to the point where it won’t be fully recovered by Thanksgiving,” he said.

Other aviation experts echoed similar concerns about the long-term impact to air travel. With possible 20% cuts in air traffic if the shutdown continues, Henry Harteveldt from the Atmosphere Research Group warned that the aviation system may soon be crippled. “It will be very, very difficult for travelers to get where they are going for Thanksgiving,” he noted.