Over 9,000 flights were canceled or delayed across the United States on Monday and Tuesday, with major airports like Denver, Newark, and Burbank experiencing significant disruptions due to staffing shortages of air traffic controllers caused by the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the disruptions were triggered by a staffing shortage of air traffic controllers, with a higher rate of controllers calling in sick since the shutdown began. While most federal workers are furloughed, air traffic controllers are deemed essential and must work without pay during the shutdown, although back pay is guaranteed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the increased rate of absences, which has led to significant delays in air traffic. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), which represents 20,000 air traffic controllers, stated that it is working with the FAA to mitigate the disruptions in the National Airspace System.
“It is normal for a few air traffic controllers to call in sick on any given day, and this is the latest example of how fragile our aviation system is in the midst of a national shortage of these critical safety professionals,” NATCA said in a statement on Monday.
The union has consistently warned that the controller staffing shortage leaves the system vulnerable, and today’s events underscore the urgent need to accelerate training and hiring. The statement also warned that a government shutdown places an unnecessary strain on an already overstretched workforce, recalling that during the 2019 shutdown, many controllers were forced to take second jobs to pay their bills, leading to significant stress and fatigue.
The shutdown also impacts the Essential Air Service, a program that funds flights to smaller airports, with concerns that its funding could run out. During a 35-day government shutdown in 2019 under President Donald Trump’s first term, a spike in absences among controllers and TSA officers led to extended checkpoint waits and forced authorities to slow air traffic, particularly in New York, increasing pressure on lawmakers to end the standoff.