As the government shutdown nears its second month, airports across the country are feeling its impact, with flight delays piling up because of staffing shortages.
This weekend saw the most difficult travel conditions yet at dozens of American airports amid the shutdown, with lines of frustrated travelers appeared endless. More than 5,000 flights traveling from and to U.S. airports were delayed Sunday alone, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said it screened nearly 2.7 million people around the country. As the shutdown drags on, more delays and cancellations can be expected, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Air traffic controllers, who are relied on to coordinate aircraft within the airspace and are required to work as essential workers during a government shutdown, have been working without pay. Duffy said he wants them to return to work, adding that those who do not will receive a disappointing paycheck at the end of the week.
"None of them can miss two paychecks," Duffy said on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "They all start — their home finances fall apart, and they’re all going to have to look at taking second jobs or quitting and getting into another line of work. And the consequence of that is very real for our air system."
Duffy underscored the dire need for air traffic controllers, adding that the system is short anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 controllers.
"I’m trying to put more air traffic controllers into the system," he said.
On Monday evening, more than 2,885 flights traveling within, to and out of U.S. airports were delayed, and 70 were canceled, according to FlightAware.com. Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport account for most of it, with over 900 delays and 35 cancellations between them.
It is not immediately clear if staffing shortages directly caused the delays and cancellations Monday.
According to recent delay data from the Department of Transportation (DOT), 84% of total delay minutes on Sunday were attributed to staffing. On Saturday, 59% of total delay minutes were attributed to staffing, and 64.8% were on Friday.
"From January to September 2025 (before the shutdown), only 5% of delays were caused by staffing issues," the DOT said.
The White House released a statement Monday blaming Democrats for the government shutdown that has caused the mass delays.
"Americans are paying the price for Democrats’ sick political games as air travel grinds to a halt amid the Democrat-driven chaos," the statement read.
The unpredictable flight schedule has frustrated travelers. Many are questioning the safety of air travel if control towers are not fully staffed.
Duffy said delays and cancellations are an attempt to make air travel safer.
"You'll see more delays, you'll see more cancellations of flights, and that’s because we slow traffic down because we don’t have enough controllers in the towers and TRACONs to make sure we can navigate the flights," he said, referring to terminal radar approach control facilities. "So, that’s a tool that we have to keep the system safe."
If air travel was unsafe, the DOT would "shut the whole airspace down," Duffy said.
"We won’t let people travel," he said. "We’re not there at this point. It’s just significant delays."
