Airlines chaos amid US government shutdown

The government shutdown afflicting the Trump administration is creating major headaches for travelers, as airlines across the U.S. face severe delays amid staffing shortages at the FAA.

There will not be enough air traffic controllers in the tower at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the FAA is warning.Now on the seventh day of the government shutdown, the same scenario is playing out at FAA offices across the country, with ripple effects hitting flights almost everywhere.

— CNN (@cnn.com) 2025-10-08T03:00:09.949566863Z

Ripple effects are disrupting flights almost everywhere, according to CNN.

As the Trump administration completes its first full week of the government shutdown, signs of a major crisis are emerging across unfunded sectors.

Airports are being hit especially hard, with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) staffing shortages causing delays that now ripple through nearly every flight.

«There’s controllers that have called up sick, and we’re tracking it.»

Travelers are facing long waits, cancellations, and growing uncertainty over their plans, as major airports and hubs across the country experience ripple effects from problems at individual centers.

Employees reporting sick

Major U.S. cities have been hit hard by the shortage of air traffic controllers, forcing cancellations and delays at Los Angeles International Airport in California, Chicago’s O’Hare in Illinois, as well as airports in Denver, Colorado, and Nashville, Tennessee.

The shortage of air traffic controllers has been aggravated by staff calling in sick, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noting: «There’s controllers that have called up sick, and we’re tracking it.»

The longer the government shutdown continues, the more the nation’s air travel system is expected to deteriorate. Airlines warn that staffing shortages at the FAA, already forcing widespread delays and cancellations at major airports, will intensify if agencies remain without funding.

Industry leaders are urging the administration to reopen these agencies to restore critical operations and prevent further ripple effects across U.S. hubs, where disruptions at one airport are increasingly cascading into nationwide travel chaos.

Airlines brace for third day of flight delays as shutdown persists reut.rs/4oaCkYj

— Reuters (@reuters.com) 2025-10-08T15:10:12Z