The U.S. government shutdown, now in its seventh day, is intensifying disruptions at airports nationwide as staffing shortages among air traffic controllers and security screeners lead to mounting flight delays.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported issues on Wednesday at major hubs, including Newark, Chicago, Dallas, and Nashville, with potential ground stops looming in Houston.
The FAA noted staffing shortages at airports in Boston, Burbank, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Newark, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, as well as air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth. On Tuesday, Nashville International Airport saw delays averaging two hours, while Chicago’s O’Hare reported 41-minute delays and Dallas-Fort Worth logged 30-minute delays. A possible ground stop was listed for Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, with a “probable” stop at Hobby Airport, which could strand or reroute flights nationwide.
Although delays at airports in Dallas have been relatively minor over the past week, that situation could change as the government shutdown drags on, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“I’m gravely concerned that if the government remains shut down then, that it could disrupt, and possibly ruin, millions of Americans’ Thanksgiving holidays,” said travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt, per the Associated Press.
Over 6,000 flights were delayed on Monday, with more than 3,000 on Tuesday and 720 by Wednesday morning, according to FlightAware. However, some of these delays may be attributed to poor weather conditions along the East Coast. The FAA has not yet issued a “staffing trigger” to reduce flights, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned of a “slight uptick” in controllers calling out sick since the shutdown began.
“They’re not just now thinking about the airspace,” Duffy said during a Monday visit to Newark Liberty International Airport. “They’re thinking about, ‘Am I going to get a paycheck?’”
He added that the shutdown exacerbates stress on controllers using outdated equipment, blaming Democrats for the impasse.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) emphasized safety, stating it does “not endorse, support, or condone any federal employees participating in or endorsing a coordinated activity that negatively affects the capacity” of the airspace system, warning that such actions are illegal and could lead to “removal from federal service.”
Nick Daniels, NATCA president, highlighted chronic staffing shortages and outdated systems, particularly at smaller airports.
“It’s not like we have other controllers that can suddenly come to that facility and staff them. There’s not enough people there,” he said.
The FAA’s shutdown contingency plan furloughed over 11,000 employees, a quarter of its workforce, but retained 13,000 air traffic controllers. However, union leaders like Johnny Jones of Local 1040 at Dallas-Fort Worth cautioned that prolonged unpaid work could strain operations, as some employees may not have the funds to go to work.
“They’re probably not there yet, but if they go another week or so, this could be starting to become a challenge for some of my co-workers,” Jones said, per NBC 5 DFW.
President Donald Trump signaled that some furloughed workers may not receive customary back pay, saying, per The Guardian, “There are some people that don’t deserve to be taken care of, and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed a draft memo questioning the entitlement to back pay.
Flight Safety Officer Randy Klatt noted the system operates at 60-70% staffing, making it vulnerable.
“We’re working people harder, they’re working longer hours, they’re a little apprehensive about their job security,” Klatt said, warning that extended stress could increase the risk of errors, NBC 5 reported.