Airlines Urge End to Shutdown amid Controller Shortages

The federal government shutdown that began Oct. 1 has left more than 13,000 air-traffic controllers and tens of thousands of TSA and other transportation workers working without pay, and the FAA is roughly 3,800 certified controllers short of its target, forcing nearly half of the 30 busiest U.S. airports to face shortages and producing widespread delays, cancellations and ground stops. FlightAware and FAA data show thousands of delayed flights (with earlier daily peaks in the low thousands) and average delays of 50–100 minutes at airports including Newark, Nashville and Austin. FAA advisories briefly led Orlando International to cancel or nearly halt arrivals when officials warned of “no certified controllers,” while New York-area centers reported absenteeism as high as 80%, prompting arrival caps, ground stops at JFK, EWR and LGA and some delays exceeding five hours. Airlines including Delta, United, Southwest and American have urged Congress to pass stop-gap funding to reopen the government as carriers report rising costs and service disruptions, and the FAA is recruiting temporary staff and imposing flow restrictions to maintain safety. Vice President J.D. Vance, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and industry and union leaders warned the disruptions could worsen into Thanksgiving and said lawmakers must resolve the funding impasse quickly to avoid greater safety and economic impacts.