Flight delays soar past 4,300 as government shutdown hits Day 27

Air travel chaos escalated across the United States on Monday as the federal government shutdown stretched into its 27th day, triggering widespread delays caused by air traffic controller absences. More than 4,300 flights were delayed nationwide by the afternoon, following 8,800 disruptions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported staffing shortages affecting flights across the Southeast and at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Ground stops were imposed at Austin Airport in Texas, while Dallas Fort Worth International Airport faced an average delay of 18 minutes due to reduced capacity.

According to flight-tracking service FlightAware, Southwest Airlines saw the highest impact, with nearly half of its Sunday flights delayed, followed by American, United, and Delta. As of Monday evening, 24 percent of Southwest flights, 18 percent of American flights, and 13 percent of Delta flights were delayed.

A U.S. Department of Transportation official said that 44 percent of Sunday’s delays were linked to controller absences — a steep rise from the usual 5 percent. Around 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are currently working without pay, with their first missed paycheck due Tuesday.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy visited Cleveland on Monday to meet controllers, while the National Air Traffic Controllers Association plans to hold demonstrations on Tuesday to draw attention to the growing crisis.

The FAA, already short about 3,500 controllers before the shutdown, had many staff working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. Officials fear a repeat of 2019’s 35-day shutdown, when rising absences forced authorities to slow traffic around New York and Washington, causing widespread delays and passenger frustration.

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