Overview
- JFK suspended departures for about 90 minutes on Oct. 31 due to a controller shortage, and arrivals were capped at 36 flights per hour, according to New York City Emergency Management.
- The FAA said staffing shortfalls were causing delays across major hubs, including JFK, LaGuardia, Newark, and airports in Boston, Phoenix, San Francisco, Nashville, Houston, Dallas, and the Washington, D.C., area.
- Essential air traffic controllers are working without pay, facing mandatory overtime and rising absences, the NATCA union reported, as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned disruptions will intensify the longer paychecks are withheld.
- Flight analytics firm Cirium reported the first broad system slowdown since the Oct. 1 shutdown, noting subpar on‑time performance Thursday and periods when Orlando delays averaged nearly four and a half hours.
- Vice President J.D. Vance, after meeting with airline CEOs, cautioned that a prolonged shutdown could cause a holiday travel collapse and urged Democrats to provide votes to reopen the government.