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3h ago

Duffy Threatens Firings as Controller No-Shows Fuel Flight Delays in Shutdown's Second Week

Officials warn the shutdown threatens FAA hiring and training pipelines built to fix a yearslong controller shortfall.

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
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Overview

  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said staffing now accounts for about 53% of delays, up from a typical 5%.
  • More than 15,000 U.S. flights have been delayed since Monday, and the U.S. Travel Association estimates the first week cost the travel economy $1 billion.
  • The FAA flagged nine air traffic facilities with staffing impacts Thursday, after earlier shortages that included a multi-hour tower closure in Burbank and shifted operations in Nashville.
  • Roughly 13,000 controllers are required to work without pay, the union is urging attendance and warning against illegal job actions, and Duffy says repeat no-shows could be dismissed.
  • The agency remains thousands of controllers below targets, and training is operating on 30-day emergency funding that experts say could deepen shortages if it lapses.