Staffing shortages caused more flight delays at airports across the U.S. on Tuesday. federal government shutdown As the situation stretches into its seventh day, union leaders for air traffic controllers and airport security workers have warned that the situation is likely to worsen further.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing issues at airports in Nashville, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, and Philadelphia, as well as at air traffic control centers in Atlanta, Houston, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The agency temporarily delayed the takeoff of flights to the first three cities.
The previous day’s flight disruptions were also related to staffing shortages during the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, the FAA reported. monday problem Burbank, California airport. Newark, New Jersey. And Denver.
Despite the traffic jams, about 92% of the more than 23,600 flights departing U.S. airports took off on time as of Tuesday afternoon, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
But as the work of federal employees deemed essential continues, the risk of widespread impact on the U.S. aviation system is “increasing by the day.” work without paysaid travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt. He said the longer the shutdown lasts, the more likely it will affect holiday travel plans for November.
“I am extremely concerned that a continued government shutdown could disrupt and ruin Thanksgiving for millions of Americans,” Harteveldt said in a statement.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Monday that traffic is already increasing. air traffic controller There are calls for people to feel unwell in several places. Without enough controllers, the FAA would have to reduce the number of takeoffs and landings to maintain safety, resulting in potential flight delays and cancellations.
That’s what happened Monday afternoon, shutting down the control tower at Southern California’s Hollywood Burbank Airport for several hours and causing delays averaging 2.5 hours.
The pilot was preparing to take off when he radioed the tower and was told that the tower was closed for staffing, according to communications recorded by LiveATC.net.
Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, said the shutdown highlighted some of the problems his members already regularly face due to the nation’s severely understaffed and dependent airspace system. outdated equipment It tends to fail.
If a few controllers miss their jobs, he said, it could have a major impact on small airports that are already operating with limited tower staffing.
“It’s not like there’s another controller out there who can suddenly come and staff that facility. We don’t have enough people there,” Daniels said Tuesday. “There is no overtime. The facility must be certified.”
The complexities of air travel are likely to grow even more when regularly scheduled payday arrives next week, when air traffic controllers and TSA employees will not be paid a dime, union leaders said. If reopening stalls between Republican and Democratic lawmakers, government Mr Daniels said if things continue, workers will be under more pressure as the deadline for personal claims approaches.
“It’s completely unfair that air traffic controllers have the burden of saying, ‘Let’s see how long we can hold out to get this political process done,'” he said.
Johnny Jones, secretary and treasurer of the American Federation of Public Employees chapter that represents TSA employees, said he has heard concerns from members about how they will be able to pay expenses, including child support and mortgage payments, and whether they risk being fired if they have to miss work during the shutdown.
“Employees are struggling. They’re evaluating what they need to do and how this is going to work,” said Jones, who has worked as an inspector at TSA since its inception.
Several TSA employees have already reported feeling sick, but Jones said he doesn’t think the number is large enough to cause significant problems or delays at airports.
Airlines unions and U.S. airlines are calling for the grounding to end as soon as possible.
Unions are also appealing to food banks, grocery chains and airports to ensure support for workers during the shutdown. Jones said Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport provided federal employees with $15 meal vouchers and allowed them to park inside the terminal.
John Tiliakos, chief operating officer at Florida’s Tampa International Airport, said the facility began preparing well before the closure began.
The effort, known among airport officials as “Operation Bald Eagle 2,” is centered around gathering resources for the roughly 1,100 federal employees who work without pay at airports, including security screeners and air traffic controllers.
Tiliakos said the assistance includes food stockpiles, free bus rides to work and programs with local power companies to keep the lights on in workers’ homes.
“Anything we can do to make life a little bit easier for these federal employees so they can continue to go to work and focus on keeping our airports open, we’re ready to do it,” he said.
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This article was first published on October 7, 2025. Updated on October 8, 2025 to correct the number of federal employees at Tampa International Airport. 1,100 instead of 11,000.
