Post by : Rameen Ariff

Washington, November 4, 2025: As the US government shutdown enters its 34th day, commercial aviation across the country is experiencing severe disruption. Thousands of federal workers are on the job without pay, straining airport operations and producing longer delays, heavier queues, and rising safety concerns.

Critical staffing gaps among air traffic controllers and TSA screeners are central to the problem. Many employees are either not reporting for shifts or taking extra work elsewhere to cover living costs, affecting hubs such as Orlando, Chicago, Denver, Houston and Newark. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented precautionary delays to manage the strain on services.

On October 30, Orlando International Airport faced extended delays when officials confirmed there were no certified air traffic controllers available in the control tower, prompting the FAA to temporarily suspend arrivals to preserve safety margins.

Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, cautioned that the ongoing impasse is eroding aviation safety, saying the situation makes each successive day less secure for air travel.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy acknowledged the growing systemic risk while stressing that airspace would only be shut down if safety could not be ensured. He told CNBC that the system has not reached that stage yet, even as delays become more pronounced.

Major airports are seeing ground operations slow dramatically. At Houston’s Bush Intercontinental, security screening times have stretched to as much as three hours, and travellers at Chicago and Denver have reported increasing frustration over last-minute cancellations and prolonged wait times.

Keith Jeffries, a former TSA federal security director at Los Angeles International Airport, warned that the pressures on frontline staff will likely intensify, with more workers electing to miss shifts rather than work without pay.

Industry experts stress that many controllers are exercising caution by staying home when they do not feel fit to perform, which helps prevent unsafe operations. Mike McCormick, an Air Traffic Management professor at Embry-Riddle, said this prudence contributes to overall safety even as it reduces capacity.

Erik Hansen, senior vice president of the US Travel Association, said the shutdown is damaging traveller confidence, noting that while safety remains the priority, predictability and reliability are being sacrificed.

Union officials and airline executives have jointly appealed to Congress to resolve the stalemate, arguing that both workers’ livelihoods and passenger safety are at stake. Daniels urged lawmakers to restore government operations immediately.

Until a solution is reached, millions of travellers will continue to face uncertainty—left waiting not only for flights but for elected officials to restore normalcy to the system.

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