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The travel turmoil caused by the 41-day government shutdown showed no signs of easing Monday, even as lawmakers moved closer to ending the standoff that has crippled federal agencies and disrupted air travel nationwide.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it would continue limiting commercial flights in and out of major airports, citing severe air traffic controller shortages after weeks of unpaid work. More than 1,400 of the roughly 25,000 scheduled flights Monday were canceled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
On Sunday, about 2,600 flights — roughly 10% of all scheduled — were canceled, and the FAA expects cancellations to climb to 6% Tuesday, up from 4% Friday. It remains unclear how many cancellations are directly tied to the shutdown versus weather or logistical issues.
The affected airports include Chicago O’Hare, Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, Washington National, Boston Logan, LAX, Dallas Fort Worth, Houston’s Bush Intercontinental, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle-Tacoma, Las Vegas, and two of New York City’s major airports — all of which have faced staffing shortfalls as controllers continue to work without pay.
Air traffic controllers, deemed essential workers, cannot legally strike but have increasingly struggled to maintain operations. The FAA said 5.2 million passengers experienced delays between Oct. 1 and Nov. 9 due to controller shortages. While just 11 flights were canceled between Oct. 1 and Oct. 29 for staffing reasons, more than 4,100 flights were canceled in the first 10 days of November, with most occurring after the FAA ordered flight reductions at 40 high-traffic airports.
President Donald Trump lashed out Monday at controllers who have missed work, saying on Truth Social that he would seek to dock their pay while rewarding those who remained on duty with $10,000 bonuses.
“For those that did nothing but complain, and took time off … I am NOT HAPPY WITH YOU,” Trump wrote.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, condemned the situation, calling controllers “unsung heroes” who have held the aviation system together without pay.
“Forty-one days without pay is unacceptable,” Daniels said. “Air traffic controllers should not be political pawns during a government shutdown.”
Airlines have offered flexibility to stranded passengers, including waiving change and cancellation fees. Delta said it would refund affected tickets, while American Airlines’ COO David Seymour acknowledged “incredibly challenging” conditions for workers and customers alike.
“We expect there will be continued cancellations and delays,” Seymour wrote, citing the FAA’s ongoing restrictions and an “unpredictable operating environment.”
Despite a preliminary Senate deal to reopen the government, travelers and airline officials warned that normal operations may take days — if not weeks — to fully resume.
