US flight chaos as unpaid air traffic controllers call out amid record shutdown

Thousands of flights across the United States have been delayed or cancelled as air traffic controllers, working without pay for more than a month, call out in growing numbers, forcing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to slow air traffic nationwide.

More than 16,700 flights were delayed and 2,282 cancelled between Friday and Sunday, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware. Disruptions continued into Monday evening, with another 4,000 delays and 600 cancellations reported at major hubs including Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver and Newark.

The FAA said on X that absences have surged among the roughly 13,000 controllers still working through the record-breaking government shutdown, which began on October 1. “Half of our ‘Core 30’ facilities are experiencing staffing shortages,” the agency said, adding that New York-area airports were hit hardest, with absences reaching 80 percent.

Controllers are classified as “essential workers,” required to report for duty even when the government is shuttered, but have not received paychecks for over a month. The FAA said fatigue and stress are driving many to take unpaid leave or seek second jobs.

“The shutdown must end so that these controllers receive the pay they’ve earned and travellers can avoid further disruptions,” the agency said, warning that it will continue to “reduce the flow of air traffic” to maintain safety standards.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CBS’s Face the Nation that the department would prioritise safety over speed.

“We work overtime to make sure the system is safe. And we will slow traffic down, you’ll see delays, we’ll have flights cancelled to make sure the system is safe,” he said.

Duffy added that air traffic controllers will not be penalised for missing work.

“When they’re making decisions to feed their families, I’m not going to fire air traffic controllers,” he said.

The shutdown, now entering its 35th day, is on track to become the longest in US history, matching the 2018-2019 impasse.

According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, about 670,000 civilian federal workers have been furloughed and another 730,000 are working without pay.