More than 5,000 flights were canceled in the United States over the past weekend, followed by another 2,000 on Monday. The New York Times shared this update, confirming that an additional 1,113 days had already been canceled at the time of reporting. 

Of course, this comes as a result of the U.S. Government’s federal shutdown. The freeze on much of the country’s federally funded airport operations is now on its 43rd day.

Mass Delays and Cancelations

The weekend’s disruption follows the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) announcement last week that it would be “reducing air traffic by 10% across 40 high-airports.” Meanwhile, a PBS report on this issue also highlighted that air traffic controllers have been working without pay since the Oct. 1 shutdown began. 

“Most controllers have continued to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown,” reads the story. “That leaves little time for a side job to help cover bills, mortgage payments, and other expenses, unless controllers call out.”

Though a deal for the shutdown to end is in sight, Politico’s Sam Ogozalek shared some ominous news for travelers. The restrictions will remain in place for the time being, despite the Senate being close to a deal. 

A First-Hand Account 

Wander Worthy founder Alexandrea Sumuel Groves shared her own experience of this weekend’s flight trouble, having booked a trip in August. Unfortunately, both legs went via Chicago O’Hare, a notoriously busy air travel hub. 

“Our flight home Monday was canceled just a few hours before departure, even though the airline said our flight was confirmed through November 12th,” she explains. Making things worse: “they specifically said it was due to further FAA flight reductions.”

Thankfully, a last-ditch flight through another airport saved her day, and her arrival home was only a modest “three hours” later than expected. Yet, her observation about the disgruntled TSA staff “making remarks that they weren’t getting paid” was not unnoticed.

Clearly, this shutdown can’t end soon enough.

Something’s Gotta Give

The pressure on the FAA’s air traffic controller workforce did not begin with the shutdown, but rather traces back to earlier staffing reductions and budget tightening. 

A June 2025 Reuters report found the FAA had hired only about two-thirds of the certified controllers its own staffing model required between 2013 and 2023, while overtime among existing staff had surged more than 300%. 

In addition, an Associated Press report noted that roughly 400 FAA positions, including safety-support and maintenance roles, were cut earlier this year as part of broader budget adjustments. 

Entering the shutdown with a shortfall of around 3,000 controllers, the agency was already strained, making the unpaid work and delayed training during the shutdown an ongoing problem.

Moreover, it triggered a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing, featuring aviation union leaders, safety experts, and state senators. “Air traffic controllers are being required to do mandatory overtime,” Chair of the National Safety Transportation Board Jennifer Homendy said at the hearing. 

Air Traffic Controller Shortages Are Not New

In May this year, the Wall Street Journal aviation correspondent Andrew Tangel shared a podcast interview with Jonathan Stewart, a Newark air traffic controller. The talk revolved around the FAA’s attempts to fix staffing problems, moving Newark’s airspace from Long Island to Philadelphia. 

However, all flight feeds came via a relay from the previous Long Island location, which Tangel said “introduced a lot of technological risks.” The result was a harrowing 90-second delay in communication, leading to a multitude of flight cancellations. 

Also compounding the subsequent staff shortages was how four staff members took leave for stress-related trauma, following the incident. Those workers affected by this near-miss received criticism for their actions, not least in light of their department’s already growing pressures. 

Yet, it makes little difference to the passengers affected by continuing air transport issues, which have only been magnified by the shutdown. 

Ben is a lifestyle, travel, news, and features writer with bylines for dozens of publications, and he has bylines across many online platforms.

Raised in England and with a career background in international education, he now lives in Southern Spain with his wife and son. Ben has lived on four continents, including Africa, Asia, and North America, and he has worked diverse jobs, ranging from traveling film projectionist to landscape gardener.

He offers a unique, well-traveled perspective on life, with several specialties related to his travels, namely, international living and culture. Ben loves writing about travel, food, news, and trending cultural topics, among many others. 

When he isn't writing, you will find him hiking with his family or on the nearest golf course looking for his golf ball.