WASHINGTON, November 9, 2025 – The air travel chaos across the United States deepened over the weekend as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that 1,460 flights were canceled and thousands more delayed amid a worsening shortage of air traffic controllers caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown.
According to the FAA, 37 airport towers and control centers have been affected, disrupting operations in at least 12 major cities, including Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago and New York. The ripple effects were felt nationwide, with more than 6,000 flights delayed on Saturday, following 7,000 delays and 1,025 cancellations on Friday.
To manage safety and congestion, the FAA instructed airlines to cut 4 percent of daily flights at 40 major airports beginning Friday. The agency warned that the reduction could rise to 6 percent by Tuesday and 10 percent by November 14, depending on staffing levels.
Now in its 39th day, the federal shutdown has forced thousands of aviation workers to continue working without pay, pushing absenteeism among air traffic controllers to unprecedented levels. At several airports, the staffing shortfall triggered cascading delays and forced the implementation of ground delay programs at nine major airports, including Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, where average wait times reached nearly five hours.
The crisis began to escalate early Friday at 6 a.m. ET, when the first wave of flight cuts took effect, affecting about 700 flights operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines — the nation’s four largest carriers. All four reported similar cancellation numbers again on Saturday as manpower shortages persisted.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford revealed that between 20 and 40 percent of controllers had failed to report for duty in recent days, while Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight reductions could reach 20 percent if absentee rates continue to rise.
Political tensions also intensified in Washington. Senator Ted Cruz blamed the government shutdown for jeopardizing aviation safety, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune said bipartisan talks to end the impasse were showing progress but remained inconclusive.
In total, an estimated 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 airport security officers are still on duty nationwide despite going nearly six weeks without pay. The continued disruption is expected to have major economic consequences for airlines, airports, and passengers alike as the standoff drags on.