In the United States, the number of delayed flights has significantly increased due to the federal government shutdown and a shortage of air traffic controllers. According to information from the FlightAware platform, on October 26, over 8,000 flight delays were recorded in the country, which substantially exceeds the previous day’s figure of approximately 5,300 delayed flights.
This is reported by Finway
Impact of the Shutdown on American Aviation
Airlines are forced to mass delay departures. In particular, Southwest Airlines delayed about 45% of its flights in one day, totaling around 2,000 flights. American Airlines delayed approximately 1,200 flights that day, while United Airlines delayed 739. Mass delays have become more frequent since the U.S. federal government ceased operations.
The shutdown of federal agencies began on October 1, as Congress failed to pass a budget for the 2026 fiscal year. During this time, flight delays have regularly exceeded the average figures of previous years.
Causes of Delays and Their Consequences
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports a severe shortage of air traffic controllers, leading to overwork and exhaustion among the remaining staff. Due to the shutdown, over 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees continue to perform their duties without pay.
“Due to the shutdown, about 13,000 air traffic controllers and approximately 50,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are forced to work without receiving their salaries.”
The government shutdown has affected not only the transportation sector. Due to the forced leave of hundreds of thousands of federal employees, meetings with Ukrainian representatives have been disrupted, and negotiations regarding arms supplies to Ukraine are under threat. Additionally, mass layoffs have begun in several U.S. federal agencies, partly driven by the policy of “diversity, equity, and inclusion.”