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2h ago

Shutdown Day Nine: FAA Staffing Strain Triggers Flow Controls and Thousands of Flight Delays

FAA is throttling traffic at stressed airports to preserve safety.

The Capitol is illuminated at dawn on the 6th day of the government shutdown, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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The Senate side of the Capitol is illuminated by the sun at dawn in Washington, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - OCTOBER 7: Travelers arrive at the Nashville International Airport during a temporary ground stop on October 7, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified the airport that flights arriving and departing would be reduced due to a shortage of air traffic controllers amid the ongoing federal government shutdown. (Photo by Seth Herald/Getty Images)

Overview

  • Essential FAA and TSA personnel are working without pay, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy reported a slight uptick in controller sick calls, while the controllers’ union says there is no coordinated sick-out.
  • The FAA has imposed rate reductions and temporary ground stops at select facilities, including a ground stop in Nashville, after Hollywood Burbank’s tower was unstaffed for more than five hours earlier in the week.
  • Flight-tracking data show roughly 10,000 U.S. flight delays on Monday and Tuesday and more than 4,000 on Wednesday, with Duffy saying staffing issues accounted for 53% of recent delays versus about 5% normally.
  • Staffing advisories and delays have hit major hubs such as Chicago O’Hare, Dallas–Fort Worth, Boston Logan, Newark, Philadelphia, and parts of Washington, D.C. airspace, with localized outages briefly halting LaGuardia flights.
  • DOT officials warn the Essential Air Service subsidy could lapse as soon as Oct. 12 if the shutdown persists, while unions urge Congress to end the closure, citing fatigue and distraction risks for unpaid workers.