Particle.news
Download on the App Store
81 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

Aviation Disruptions Deepen in Shutdown as Duffy Threatens Firings of No-Show Controllers

Officials say controller absences now drive most delays, intensifying pressure to end the shutdown.

In an extraordinary effort to inject politics into millions of Americans’ travel experiences, the Trump administration plans to roll out a video at airports across the United States that will blame Democrats for lapses in Transportation Security Administration workers’ pay because of the government shutdown.
It ‘doesn’t take long before the system slows down’
Construction crews work near the air traffic control tower at Reagan Washington National Airport as the U.S. government shutdown continues in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
Image

Overview

  • Flight-tracking tallies show roughly 19,000 U.S. delays since Monday, with DOT reporting staffing-related delays have surged to about 53% from a historical 5%.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned he will dismiss repeat no-shows, saying a small fraction of absences is rippling through the system while most controllers continue working without pay.
  • Staffing shortfalls triggered localized outages and slowdowns, including an unstaffed tower at Hollywood Burbank and delays at Denver, Reagan National, Chicago O’Hare, Newark and Nashville.
  • DHS confirmed a video is playing in airports blaming Democrats for the funding lapse, as TSA reports low average security wait times despite unpaid officers on duty.
  • The controllers’ union, NATCA, is urging members to work and warns job actions are illegal, while industry groups estimate about $1 billion in travel-economy losses during the first week and note partial paychecks for pre-shutdown hours are due next week.