Select Language:
The air traffic control tower at Newark Liberty International Airport is visible in Newark, New Jersey, on May 9, 2025. — Reuters
The U.S. experienced a significant increase in air travel disruptions on Monday, with over 4,300 flights delayed nationwide after more than 8,800 delays the previous day. The rise in delays coincided with a surge in absenteeism among air traffic controllers, as the federal government shutdown marked its 27th day.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) highlighted staffing shortages impacting flights across the Southeast and at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Additionally, the FAA implemented a ground stop at Austin Airport in Texas and a ground delay program at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, resulting in an average delay of 18 minutes per flight.
On Sunday, Southwest Airlines reported 47% of its flights delayed, totaling 2,089 flights. American Airlines experienced 1,277 delays, representing 36% of its flights. United Airlines had 27% of its flights delayed, amounting to 807 flights, while Delta Air Lines reported 21% delays, or 725 flights, according to FlightAware, a flight-tracking service.
Approximately 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers are working without pay. The Trump administration warned that flight disruptions could worsen as controllers are set to miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.
As of 5 p.m. ET (2100 GMT) Monday, the delay rates stood at 24% for Southwest, 18% for American, and 13% for Delta, based on FlightAware data.
A Department of Transportation official noted that 44% of Sunday’s delays were due to controller absences, a sharp increase from the usual 5%.
The growing number of delays and cancellations is fueling public frustration and increasing pressure on lawmakers to resolve the budget impasse. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy met with controllers in Cleveland on Monday, and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association plans events at various airports on Tuesday to highlight the issue of controllers missing their paychecks.
The FAA is currently short approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers from its targeted staffing levels. Many controllers had been working mandatory overtime and six-day workweeks even before the shutdown began.
During a 35-day shutdown in 2019, similar staffing shortages led to increased absences among controllers and TSA officers due to missed paychecks, which extended wait times at airport checkpoints and necessitated slowing down air traffic in New York and Washington.
ChatGPT
Perplexity
Gemini AI
Grok AI
