U.S. Flight Delays Continue Amid Government Shutdown

• As the government shutdown nears a possible resolution, flight disruptions continue nationwide due to FAA capacity cuts and staffing shortages.
• Some of the hardest hit airports include those in Atlanta, Chicago, and Newark, with hundreds of cancellations and delays.
• Even after the shutdown ends, air travel may take several days to fully recover as airlines reposition aircraft and crews.

While a potential resolution to the government shutdown is in the works, travelers are still facing cancellations or delays at airports throughout the United States.

On Sunday, the Senate took a major step forward towards reopening the government in a 60 to 40 vote in favor of a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through Jan. 30. The bill must first pass some final rounds of voting in the Senate before it can go to the House—Speaker Mike Johnson has stated that he hopes for a Wednesday vote, and gave members 36 hours to return to Washington, D.C. Afterwards, the CR will need to land on the President’s desk for the shutdown to officially end.

As the process drags on, travelers are still facing nationwide delays and cancellations, as the FAA continues to restrict the volume of flights across the country, due to staffing issues with air traffic control and Transportation Security Administration officers. Total flight capacity will be cut as much as 10 percent, the Department of Transportation previously revealed. If the shutdown continues, flights could be reduced to a “trickle,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN. 

The hardest hit airports on Sunday, Nov. 9, included Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) with 221 flights cancelled, Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) with 200 flights cancelled, and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) with 177 flights cancelled, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium.

Airlines have been providing advance notice of flight cancellations, offering rebooking options, and the opportunity to cancel completely without charge. 

“Any customer who doesn’t want to travel can have a refund, even if their flight isn’t impacted,” a United Airlines spokesperson said in a statement to Travel + Leisure. “We encourage travelers to download the United app for updates.”

The DOT has also published an order to restrict general aviation and private aviation from some of the largest airports in the United States, in an effort to ease congestion and provide priority to commercial flights. 

The private aviation restrictions include airports in ORD in Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Denver International Airport (DEN), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), according to a press release from the National Business Aviation Association. 

Even after the shutdown ends, some of the impacts may be felt for a substantial amount of time. On Sunday, Secretary Duffy shared that nearly 15 to 20 air traffic controllers are retiring each day since the shutdown, compared to an average of 4 before the shutdown.

Beyond the staffing issues, the recovery time for airlines themselves could take several days as companies rebase airplanes, crew, and accommodate passengers who have not been able to catch an originally scheduled flight. 

“It’ll be two or three days based on past examples,” a Cirium spokesperson shared with T+L. “Aircraft are parked as optimally as possible.”

However, the recovery will not be as disruptive as if it were a winter storm, Cirium says, due to the aircraft locations. 

Travelers who are planning to fly over the next week are encouraged to check the flight status before leaving home, arrive early for longer than usual security lines, and consider backup options before the departure day.