By Peter Omopo
Washington D.C. | October 27, 2025 — Air travel chaos deepened across the United States on Sunday as more than 8,000 flights were delayed due to a worsening air traffic controller shortage caused by the ongoing federal government shutdown, now stretching into its 26th day.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) faced staffing shortages at 22 air traffic control centers on Saturday — one of the highest numbers since the shutdown began on October 1. He warned that the disruptions could persist or worsen in the coming days if Congress fails to end the budget impasse.
According to FlightAware, a global flight-tracking website, by 11 p.m. Eastern Time (5 a.m. Monday, West Africa Time), there were more than 8,000 flight delays nationwide — up sharply from about 5,300 the previous day.
The staffing crisis has left millions of travelers stranded or delayed, adding to growing public frustration and political pressure on lawmakers to reach an agreement to reopen the government.
Major airlines bore the brunt of Sunday’s disruptions. Southwest Airlines saw nearly 45 percent of its flights — about 2,000 in total — delayed. American Airlines experienced delays on 1,200 flights (roughly one-third of its schedule), while United Airlines had 739 flights delayed (24 percent) and Delta Air Lines reported 610 delays (17 percent).
The shutdown has forced approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers to work without pay, raising fears of burnout and absenteeism among critical aviation staff.
“The system is wearing thin,” Duffy said in an interview with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, noting that the FAA had triggered staffing shortage alerts at 22 major locations — “one of the highest we’ve seen since the shutdown began.”
The FAA said ground delay programs were implemented at Chicago’s O’Hare, Washington’s Reagan National, and Newark Liberty International Airports due to staffing shortages. A temporary ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport was later lifted.
Industry experts warn that the crisis could escalate further as air traffic controllers miss their first full paycheck this week, intensifying financial strain on workers who have already gone nearly a month without pay.
The prolonged shutdown, one of the longest in U.S. history, continues to ripple through multiple sectors — from aviation and national parks to the nuclear energy agency — deepening concerns about its economic and social impact.
With political negotiations in Washington still deadlocked, travelers and airline operators alike are bracing for another week of turbulence — both in the skies and on Capitol Hill.
