Government Shutdown 2025: How an FAA Funding Freeze Could Spark Nationwide Flight Delays—What Travelers Need to Know

Lines at security checkpoints are stretching for hundreds of feet, departure boards are lit up with red, and frustrated travelers are taking to social media with photos of snaking queues—visible evidence of how the month-long U.S. government shutdown is rippling through the air-travel system. Air-traffic controller shortages, unpaid TSA officers calling in sick, and a freeze on FAA training programs are combining to generate the worst nationwide airline delays since the pandemic recovery year of 2022, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. On Sunday, November 2, nearly 6,000 U.S. flights were delayed and more than 700 were canceled—numbers that have remained stubbornly high every day this week. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he is monitoring staffing levels “hour by hour” and would “shutter U.S. airspace if safety is compromised,” though he believes the system remains safe for now. Aviation unions disagree. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association warns that mandatory overtime and missed paychecks are driving a spike in sick calls, leaving some radar rooms operating with barely half their normal staffing. Major hubs are feeling the squeeze first. Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson, the world’s busiest airport, reported average departure delays of 52 minutes on Monday. New York’s LaGuardia temporarily halted departures during the morning rush after two controllers requested medical leave, triggering a ground stop that cascaded up and down the East Coast. The FAA confirmed holds or ground-delay programs at Chicago O’Hare, Denver and Dallas-Fort Worth on Tuesday afternoon, citing “controller staffing” as the primary cause. TSA logjams are making matters worse. Wait times at Orlando International eclipsed 150 minutes on Sunday morning, while Las Vegas McCarran saw security lines spill into the parking garage. More than 12 percent of TSA screeners have failed to report for duty at least once during the shutdown, agency officials told CNN. Why the shutdown hurts aviation so quickly • Air-traffic controllers and TSA officers are considered “essential” and must work without pay, but years-long staffing gaps mean there is no slack when sick calls rise. • FAA inspectors who certify aircraft repairs are furloughed, forcing airlines to ground planes for routine checks. • New-hire controller and safety-tech training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City is paused, deepening the long-term labor shortage. What travelers can do right now 1. Book morning flights: delay probability increases as the day progresses because staffing failures accumulate. 2. Allow triple the usual buffer at security; programs like TSA PreCheck are currently operating with reduced lanes. 3. Enable airline app notifications and rebook yourself the moment a cancellation hits your inbox—inventory disappears fast during mass disruptions. 4. Consider alternate airports within driving distance; Baltimore often has shorter lines than Reagan National, and Milwaukee can spare you Chicago’s worst backups. Economic stakes rise each day the shutdown drags on. The U.S. Travel Association estimates flight disruptions are costing the economy $160 million per day in lost business productivity and tourism spend. Airlines have begun trimming November schedules, and Southwest hinted it may cut up to 90 daily departures if controller availability deteriorates further. Congressional negotiators signaled late Monday that a temporary funding patch remains elusive, raising fears that the shutdown could surpass the 2019 record. For travelers, that means preparing for a holiday season where “arrive three hours early” might actually be an understatement. As former FAA Administrator Marian Blakey put it, “The system is bending—but if lawmakers don’t restore funding soon, it may break.”