Overview
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday the department could restrict or close specific airspace as soon as next week if the funding lapse continues, calling the outlook for air travel “mass chaos.”
- The FAA reports nearly half of major air traffic control facilities are short-staffed, with roughly 13,000 controllers and about 50,000 TSA officers still working without pay on day 35 of the shutdown.
- Officials and flight-tracking data show widespread operational strain, including targeted ground stops and thousands of delays such as 273 at Newark on Nov. 3, with significant slowdowns at hubs like Chicago O’Hare and JFK.
- The agency has documented extreme absenteeism in some locations, including an 80% callout rate in the New York area reported Friday, which Duffy and airlines warn could worsen into a second missed paycheck next week.
- Airlines and unions, including NATCA, are urging Congress to restore funding as Senate efforts to pass a temporary measure continue to fail, with DOT and FAA emphasizing they will slow traffic or cancel flights to maintain safety.