U.S. Government Shutdown Becomes Longest in History, Disrupting Air Travel and Testing Aviation Infrastructure
The United States government shutdown has officially become the longest in the nation’s history, now entering its 36th day. The prolonged political deadlock is having a significant impact on the country’s aviation sector, with more than 400 flights cancelled and over 14,000 delayed between Sunday and Tuesday alone.
The disruption has left thousands of travellers stranded and millions more facing uncertainty. On Sunday, a ground stop was issued at Newark Airport, cancelling over 50 flights and delaying more than 200, as air traffic controllers struggled to maintain safety amid severe staffing shortages. By Tuesday, George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston had closed three terminals due to a lack of TSA personnel, with remaining terminals seeing security queues of up to three hours.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy warned of escalating consequences if the shutdown continues: “If you bring us to a week from today, you will see mass chaos, you will see mass flight delays. You’ll see mass cancellations and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it.”
Expert Insight: A System Under Strain
Ivalyo Danailov, CEO of air passenger rights specialists SkyRefund, offered a sobering assessment of the situation: “An already overtaxed aviation system has been placed under even greater strain by the shutdown, as key workers in security and air traffic control have been made to work without pay. Planned investments cannot go ahead, and staff intake is halted, for as long as this shutdown continues.”
Danailov noted that while both the Biden and Trump administrations had previously increased investment in aviation infrastructure—most recently through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which pledged $12.5 billion for air traffic control upgrades—the shutdown threatens to undo recent progress. “The US air traffic control system was already understaffed before the shutdown, to the tune of roughly 3,500 air traffic controllers. The shutdown has paused urgently needed recruitment efforts, and working without pay has been a significant drain on morale.”
He also warned of longer-term consequences: “Even if all other problems were to disappear, the delay in the recruitment and training of new air traffic controllers presents us with a significant blow to the hoped-for rebuilding of the US ATC system.”
Advice for Travellers
Danailov recommends that travellers flying to, from, or within the U.S. take extra precautions:
- Book flights with generous refund policies
- Allow additional time for delays
- Use compensation calculators for international flights to check eligibility for reimbursement
As the shutdown continues with no resolution in sight, the aviation industry and its passengers are bracing for further turbulence.