Overview
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said parts of U.S. airspace may be closed as soon as next week if Congress fails to end the 35–36 day funding lapse.
- Roughly 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 TSA officers are working without pay, and nearly half of the FAA’s largest facilities report staffing shortages.
- The FAA has been slowing traffic, imposing arrival caps and ordering ground stops when required, with a spike in “staffing trigger” alerts over the past weekend.
- Officials say controllers received a $0 paycheck at the end of October and are set for a second next week, a threshold unions and airlines warn will worsen absences.
- Flight delays and cancellations have mounted nationwide, affecting major hubs including New York, Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix, with airlines estimating millions of passengers impacted.