More than 1,400 flights to, from, or within the United States were cancelled on Saturday, as the country’s air traffic system continued to suffer widespread disruption from the federal government shutdown, now in its 39th day.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that it had ordered airlines to reduce traffic by up to 10 per cent at 40 of America’s busiest airports, citing staff fatigue and safety risks as thousands of air traffic controllers work without pay.
Almost 6,000 flights were delayed on Saturday, according to flight tracker FlightAware, down slightly from more than 7,000 delays on Friday.
The shutdown — now the longest in US history — has left 1.4 million federal employees either furloughed or working unpaid, including most of the FAA’s air traffic controllers and 64,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents.
Congress remains gridlocked over a funding deal. Senators from both parties met over the weekend in Washington in search of a compromise, but Republicans rejected a Democratic proposal to approve the current spending bill in exchange for a one-year extension to healthcare subsidies.
As the crisis deepens, the shutdown’s effects are spreading, with flight delays, food aid cuts, and growing economic fallout for ordinary Americans.
American Airlines urged political leaders to “reach an immediate resolution to end the shutdown,” warning that prolonged disruption could cause chaos ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday later this month — one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
The worst congestion was reported at Newark Liberty International Airport, where average arrival delays exceeded four hours, while departures were running 90 minutes late, the FAA said.
Other major hubs including Charlotte/Douglas International, Chicago O’Hare, JFK, and LaGuardia in New York were also heavily affected, with delays of up to three hours.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, the world’s busiest airport, experienced extensive hold-ups throughout Saturday afternoon.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that restrictions on private jets were also being introduced to ease pressure on unpaid controllers.
“We’ve reduced their volume at high-traffic airports — instead having private jets utilise smaller airfields so busy controllers can focus on commercial aviation. That’s only fair,” Duffy wrote on X.
The FAA said the flight reductions would gradually increase, starting with a 4 per cent cut on Friday, rising to 6 per cent by 11 November, 8 per cent by 13 November, and a full 10 per cent by 14 November.
The agency said the measures were “necessary to maintain safety” as exhausted controllers continue working long hours without pay.
Unions representing air traffic controllers and TSA staff warned that fatigue and absenteeism were rising as employees take second jobs or call in sick to cover basic living costs.
During the previous shutdown in 2018, as many as one in ten TSA agents failed to report for duty, leading to similar flight delays and long security queues.
With no political breakthrough in sight, air travellers are bracing for further disruption in the days ahead — and a potentially chaotic run-up to the Thanksgiving holiday.