Government Shutdown & Air Traffic Control
Oct 7, 2025 - Flying During the Government Shutdown: What Travelers Need to Know
The government shutdown is already hitting U.S. air travel hard. More than 6,000 flights were delayed Monday, and staffing shortages are being blamed across multiple major airports. At Chicago O’Hare, arrivals have been reduced, with average delays around 40 minutes. Burbank’s tower was unmanned for several hours, forcing remote controllers to handle traffic.
Air traffic controllers are still working, but they’re doing it without pay. Many are stretched thin, picking up extra shifts to keep the system running safely. Reports suggest staffing is down as much as 50% in some regions, and absenteeism is rising as workers struggle to cover basic expenses. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged that controllers are juggling their duties with worries about how to pay their bills.
Smaller communities could soon feel the ripple effect too. The Essential Air Service program, which keeps flights running to rural airports, may be suspended if funding runs out — cutting off vital connections for travelers in less populated areas.
With so much instability, delays are expected to keep spreading. But there’s one reliable tool you can use to stay informed before you fly: nasstatus.faa.gov. LINK
This website, run by the U.S. Department of Transportation, gives a live look at the National Airspace System — which airports are delayed, which control centers are short-staffed, and how those bottlenecks may impact your route.
The site includes both a map and tile view of affected airports, plus a “Full Operations Plan” that updates several times daily. Inside that plan, you’ll see which towers, TRACONs, or centers are operating under “staffing triggers,” meaning they don’t have enough controllers to run at full efficiency.
When that happens, positions get combined — like one controller handling both tower and ground operations — and fewer planes can safely take off or land per hour. Those constraints create ground delays, wider aircraft spacing, and sequencing restrictions that ripple through the system.
If you’re flying soon, especially through busy hubs like Denver, Houston, Seattle, or Chicago, check nasstatus.faa.gov before leaving home. If your connection is tight, move to an earlier flight if possible, and expect longer ground times even if your flight shows “on time.”
The system is still safe — air traffic controllers are doing everything they can — but with stress and staffing levels both running high, efficiency is down. Until Congress reaches an agreement, the best strategy for travelers is simple: stay flexible, plan extra time, and keep refreshing that FAA status page.
