US Flights Hits Hard as Shutdown Deepens Nationwide Chaos

By Manisha Sahu, America News World
November 10, 2025

Air travel across the United States has entered a state of deepening crisis, with thousands of flights cancelled and delays mounting as the federal government shutdown stretches into its fifth week. The situation has triggered urgent warnings from aviation officials that, unless resolved swiftly, the nation’s air mobility system could be drastically curtailed by the busy Thanksgiving travel season.

The FAA has reduced flight operations across the country as unpaid air traffic controllers fail to report for duty during the ongoing government shutdown.

Sharp rise in cancellations and delays

Over the recent weekend, U.S. airlines cancelled more than 1,500 flights on Saturday and nearly 2,900 on Sunday, with approximately 1,600 already cancelled for Monday and around 1,000 for Tuesday. Moreover, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered a flight-reduction plan, mandating a 4 % cut in scheduled flights at about 40 major airports initially — with the target rising to 6 % by Tuesday and 10 % by as early as next week.

Across the busiest hubs, travellers are facing wait times exceeding an hour on departures, notably at airports such as Newark Liberty International Airport (New Jersey), Orlando International Airport (Florida), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (Illinois) and Detroit Metropolitan Airport (Michigan).

Root cause: controller shortage amid shutdown

The primary driver of the disruption is a steep decline in available air traffic-controllers. Many controllers employed by the FAA are deemed “essential” and continue working despite the shutdown, but have not been paid for weeks. As a result, absenteeism and fatigue are rising.

“More controllers aren’t coming to work day by day, the further they go without a paycheck,” said Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation. He warned that flight operations could be forced to shrink by as much as 20 % if the shutdown continues.

One union representing traffic-controllers said a significant proportion — between 20 %-40 % in some towers — have stopped showing up. The FAA said it is reducing flight capacity proactively to maintain safety margins amid the strain.

What this means for travellers & the holidays

With the six-week-long shutdown showing no clear path to resolution, the broader implications for travellers are worrying. Mr. Duffy cautioned that by the Thanksgiving travel period — traditionally one of the busiest for U.S. airports — air traffic could “slow to a trickle”.

For passengers already in transit:

Expect cancellations even for flights booked well in advance; airlines are adjusting schedules in line with the FAA cut-back orders.

If flights remain on schedule, delays could be heavy as aircraft and crews cannot always be repositioned in time due to air-traffic constraints.

Some airports and carriers are prioritising commercial traffic and asking private-jet operations to shift to smaller airfields so that constrained air-traffic control capacity can focus on mass-transport.

Political stalemate — pressure mounting

The root of the disruption is a political impasse in Congress. The shutdown began on October 1 2025, after lawmakers failed to pass appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to fund the federal government.
As essential federal staff across multiple agencies work without pay, the consequences are rippling through infrastructure systems — aviation chief among them.

Lawmakers are reportedly moving toward a stop-gap deal in the Senate, but the House must still act, and even if reopened, the rebound in airline schedules and staffing will take time.

The political finger-pointing is unabated: transportation officials are publicly attributing some of the blame to Congress for prolonging the crisis, while opposition leaders fault the executive branch for what they see as mis-management of the staffing challenge.

What needs to happen

For air-travel operations to stabilise, several things must align:

1. Congress must act to fund the government and restore pay to air-traffic controllers and related staff.

2. The FAA must be confident that staffing levels, including controllers, are sustained to lift flight-reduction orders safely.

3. Airlines must re-adjust schedules and logistics (crews, aircraft, positioning) — a process that will not happen overnight.

4. Passengers will need to allow for residual disruption even after funding returns — the backlog of cancelled flights, crew reassignments and airport processes will take days or possibly weeks to normalise.

Outlook: The risk ahead

If the shutdown extends further into November and the cuts escalate from 10 % toward the 20 % threshold hinted at, the U.S. aviation system could face its worst period in decades. Some analysts warn that cascading effects — including reduced air-freight capacity (much cargo flies in the bellies of passenger jets), greater logistical costs, ripple impacts on tourism and economy — may emerge if flights remain significantly curtailed.

For travellers ahead of the Thanksgiving rush: It would be prudent to monitor flight status closely, consider booking flights later in the day or week, stay flexible with travel plans, and if possible allow extra time or alternate options if flying.

In Summary

The nation’s busiest airports are already reeling from an unprecedented combination of unpaid essential staff, mandated flight reductions and holiday-season pressure. Unless federal funding and staffing are restored quickly, the disruptions to U.S. air travel may deepen, leaving thousands of holiday-season travellers stranded or significantly delayed.

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